Wings of Midgard
by TheArtificer42
Summary: His life is torn in two. Hiccup's dream of creating a viking-dragon utopia for all of Midgard is starting to crumble. Berk is on the edge of dividing, old hatreds are boiling, and the raids on Berk are making life difficult for all. The worst however is yet to come. Something darker is lurking and looming, and it is heading Hiccup's way. (Norse Fantasy/Myth AU)
1. A Stressful Start

**Hello everyone. Welcome to my brand new story: Wings of Midgard!**

**I can't help but say how excited I am to write this. This story is a new approach for me in both dialogue and plot, and the Norse fantasy-myth setting in this story is something I never imagined that I would write about. **

**Also, if you're a fan of the Lord of**** the Rings, this story may be for you!**

**So for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy!**

* * *

Hiccup's room stood as quiet and dim as the early morning. Only a single candle remained lit while the lad sat at his desk, looking down at his detailed but incomplete map of Midgard.

"Well, what do you think bud?" he asked, shifting in his chair to face his dragon. "Do you think there's still more to explore out there? You know- somewhere new that we haven't explored yet?"

Toothless, who laid in the corner of the dark room, looked up at his rider, letting out a huff air from his nostrils before gently resting his head back down. Clearly the winged reptile was not interested.

Hiccup sighed with a shrug. "Nevermind I guess… Now, where was I?" he said as he spun back to face the map of Midgard, scanning his eyes across it and continuing to admire it.

Midgard, the world of men, and home to many other races, was one of the nine worlds that inhabited the known cosmos. The world was well known for the two large continents that stood near its eastern and western ends.

To the east was the continent of Scalmodan, home to many viking tribes, as well as to the mighty clans of dwarves who came from Nidavellir to settle on Midgard.

To the west lied the continent of Lardalor, home of the woodland realms, where numerous amounts of light elves who came from Alfheim now resided.

And then there was the Barbaric Archipelago, the place where Hiccup lived, located in the center of Midgard, with Berk as one of it's main landmarked islands. Unlike Lardalor and Scalmodan however, Hiccup saw the Archipelago as anything but interesting. After all, it was no longer what it once was, ever since its glory days came to an end...

As Hiccup continued eyeing the map, the lad nearly did not notice the door to his room open, and upon noticing a figure coming in, he was startled.

However, the figure that came into his room was his father. The chieftain of Berk, Stoick the Vast.

Hiccup let out a breath of relief. "Oh- hey dad. I- I thought you were someone else... Erm- do you need something?

"Son," he began. "I have important news to share with you. It's something you need to know."

The young twenty-one year old sighed in irritation. "Let me guess, another dispute with Alvin? Or is it with Dagur?"

The large viking shook his head. "Neither, actually. This morning I've received word from two messengers that were sent by both kings Morgrim and Lornduil."

"You mean the dwarven and elven kings who accepted our invitations of coming to Berk?" asked Hiccup.

"Aye," he nodded. "The messengers told me that both Lornduil and Morgrim are going to be arriving at Berk today near noon, which is very soon. I am going to discuss opening possible alliances with them."

"...However, while I prepare the town for their arrival, I would like you to go visit Snotlout near the hunting grounds in the woods and see what he is up to. From what I've heard, he is building an outpost without _my_ consent."

Hiccup felt his stomach grind hearing that name. Out of all the people on Berk he had to check up on, why him?

"Dad, you can't be serious. You know Snotlout hates both of us - as well as the rest of Berk that has not sided with him. He still thinks that-"

"I know, I know. But right now, we have no choice. And besides, your mother and I have been too busy looking after our people… At least the half that are still with us."

"I guess I can understand that, but why is there no choice?" he groaned. "Dad, you know well what Snotlout is like. He was the one who nearly threatened to throw many of our dragons off the island by force."

"Can't you at least send Astrid and the others to him in my stead?"

"They were already sent out before you," Stoick said with a nod. "But I need _you_ there to make sure that things do not get out of hand, and to get this issue sorted out. I want you to get answers out of him..."

"...Alright?"

Hiccup frowned, narrowing his eyes downwards. "Alright."

Stoick smirked as he gave a pat on the lad's shoulder, before turning around and giving him one last nod as he walked out of his room. "Best of luck, son."

After he left, Hiccup looked towards Toothless, nudging his head to the side as he stood from his chair and gestured him to follow - to which the Night Fury willingly obliged.

They both made their way out of the room, walking hastily down the stairs before marching out of the hut and into the light of the morning day, but not before giving a quick glance at the heavily populated town of Berk.

Hiccup stared up at the cloudly light blue sky, giving off another frowned look. "Would be such a perfect time for a flight… but we have business to do. The others are probably waiting for us."

The lad proceeded to swiftly sit himself atop Toothless's saddle, attaching his prosthetic, as well as putting his right foot into place on the pedal, thus activating the flap for Toothless's prosthetic tail fin.

"Right then, let's get this over with. You ready Toothless?"

...

* * *

"There is nothing you can say that will convince me, Astrid! My base, my rules!"

The dragon riders had already arrived at Snotlout's outpost, still in construction, and so far, the situation was not looking good.

"You can't be serious, Snotlout!" let out Astrid, stomping her way towards the Jorgenson. "You are building an outpost without Stoick's permission! Don't you know that it's HIS island? You can't just go wherever you want and-"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH ALREADY!" he bellowed, before glancing at the workers building his outpost.

"And you men! On the tower! Work faster! I want that thing up by noon!"

"Aye sir!" a worker called out as he and the other workers picked up their pace, hammering swiftly and sawing wood as if their lives depended on it.

Astrid lowered her brows. If there was anyone on Berk that half of the island despised, it was Snotlout Jorgenson.

It all started months ago; a night that made him change forever.

A new foe came from beyond the sea by ship. Raiders, small in number, but shockingly well armed, and they raided Berk by surprise.

They attacked the village relentlessly despite the unfavorable odds, but were eventually pushed back. However, it was on that tragic night that they had managed to murder Snotlout's father Spitelout, along with fifteen others.

Though it was clear that the raiders were at fault for killing Spitelout, his death caused Snotlout to go insane, and thus the young viking threw the blame towards Stoick, Hiccup, Astrid and the riders.

He claimed that they were the ones who left his father to die, and that it was for _that_ reason that he was killed. Through this, he convinced nearly half of Berk to switch sides, persuading them to follow him rather than Stoick, who he viewed as a failed chieftain. As such, a new faction came to be; Clan Jorgenson. And all who fought for it bore the grey and red colors of its house.

Though they were not Jorgensons by blood, they were from that point on considered "family" by Snotlout. If anything, the clan was like another individual tribe.

Upon its creation, Snotlout assured Stoick that if he were to ever try and re-convince them to return to his tribe, he would have his clan take Berk by force.

In other words, it would mean war.

Not wanting a civil war, Stoick backed off, and thus Snotlout went on to forge his clan.

The young viking even managed to take Hookfang with him, for not even the Monstrous Nightmare, who feared his rider for who he had become, could defy him, and as the months went on, things did not get any better.

More and more dragons migrated away from Berk as a result of Snotlout's actions, and the raids began intensifying. As such, Berk was on the edge of tearing itself apart, all due to the weak neutral relation between the Berkian Tribe and Clan Jorgenson.

Still, Snotlout was once again acting on his own accord, and things were about to get heated between him and Astrid...

"I'm telling you Snotlout, this is Stoick's island! _His_ rules! Not _yours!"_

Snotlout chuckled, crossing his arms. "You forget that half of Berk belongs to me, scum-hag! I have the final say of what _I_ do! No one else!"

"But your outpost is blocking the way to our hunting grounds! How will we get food for the coming winte-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK!" he shouted, now screaming in her face.

As the two argued on, Fishlegs and the Twins, who stood nearby with their dragons, watched with surprised looks on their faces as the argument continued escalating between the two.

"Geez…" said Ruffnut. "Astrid and Snotlout are REALLY gettin' out of hand now."

Her twin Tuffnut replied with a chuckle. "Heh, yeah. You know, this reminds me of that one time when Barf and Belch kept on biting at each other over a single salmon. It was funny."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Ruffnut giggled. "And then they forgot about it in the end because we threw it into the sea, heheh."

"Huh? I thought we ate it," responded Tuffnut.

Fishlegs let out a muffled grunt, looking back at the Twins in frustration. "Will you two stop it already? You're not helping in making this situation any better."

"Well whaddya expect us to do?" questioned Ruffnut. "You said that Hiccup would be here to sort this whole mutt-fest out. So where is he?"

As Fishlegs was about to respond, he once again heard Snotlout yell out in anger at Astrid, loud enough to where it nearly startled both him and the Twins.

"I've had about ENOUGH of you!" he shouted, now boiling with anger. "You have two choices, Astrid! Turn around and fly back to your village, or I'll order my guards here to escort you back… by foot!"

Astrid's eyes widened. She took a few steps back, looking back at the ten armored Jorgenson guards who gathered near Snotlout in a threatening manner, causing Stormfly and the other dragons to start growling.

If she retaliated, then violence would break out, and that would be the end of their non-aggression pact.

And that was the last thing she wanted.

"You have GOT to be kidding me."

"Does it look like I'm bluffing?" he asked her, taking a few steps forward as he ross his hand, ready to snap his fingers. "So. What's it going to be?"

"SNOTLOUT!"

Hiccup's voice, along with the sound of Toothless speeding by from above, caught the attention of everyone from down below. As they all looked up, they saw the young viking fly in on his Night Fury, making a swift landing in front of Astrid.

The lad then proceeded to hastily dismount Toothless as he made his way closer to the crazed Jorgenson.

"Snotlout, what do you think you're doing?" he asked him.

"Ah, Useless! You came just in time!"

'Useless.' The name immediately made Hiccup's teeth grit together. He had not heard Snotlout call him by that name in years, and the last time he heard him use it, he was a much younger lad. But now that he had been using more often, it made Hiccup feel ever more uncomfortable whenever he was around him.

"In time for what, exactly?" Hiccup questioned.

"Your girlfriend here is misbehaving, Hiccup!" replied Snotlout, peaking past Hiccup's shoulder as he glanced over at Astrid. "Please, if you would - ask her to walk away before I order my guards here to make her."

"...No." he responded.

...It was then that everyone went dead silent, staring down both Hiccup and Snotlout as if they were at a close stalemate.

Snotlout rose a brow. "...What did you say?"

"I said no, Snotlout!" responded Hiccup, raising his tone. "None of us are leaving until you tell us what in Midgard you are doing setting up an outpost near our hunting grounds, all without my father's permission!"

"Pfft? What's it to you, Useless?" chuckled Snotlout.

"First of all, I'm the heir of this island. Since this is my dad's concern, it also makes it _my_ concern. Secondly, you're blocking the path leading to the-"

"The correct term is _guarding._ Something you barely do, Useless!" taunted Snotlout.

Hiccup arched a brow. "Guarding it from what?! Trolls and goblins?! My father is worried for Berk because of what you are doing!"

"So what? What Stoick cares about is not my problem! You want answers? Go back to that large drunken keg and tell him that this outpost is for Clan Jorgenson's food storage. You and him know well that winter will be here in a few months, and we need as much food as we can store."

"Is that all you have to say?" asked Hiccup. "What about Berk? Our tribe? The village needs food as well you know."

"If they want to hunt for food from the hunting grounds then they may get it as they please… with my _consent. _These grounds now belong to me! If you want it back, feel free to declare war against me!"

The guards behind Snotlout lightly chuckled, giving off ugly and wicked grins before quickly returning to their positions.

Snotlout's eyes then gazed back towards the workers on the foundations of both structures. "GET BACK TO WORK!"

"You heard him, back to work!" one of the workers repeated.

Hiccup sighed as soon as they were back to working on the outpost. He looked back at Astrid, shaking his head with a frown on his face. How was his father going to react to this?

The lad made his way closer to her, placing his arms on her shoulders. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

She gave a nod. "I'm fine, babe… just a little bit shakened."

"Hm. I can tell..."

...

* * *

Within Gobber's forge, Hiccup and the others all sat around a table as the blonde blacksmith circled around them, pouring drinks for them.

"So," he began, filling their tankards with mead. "Snotlout once again pulls yet another stupid move?"

"Yup," sighed Hiccup. "It seems like everywhere he goes, he wants trouble to start brewing... My dad isn't going to be happy about this, at all."

"Well, he's Snotlout," shrugged Astrid. "And Snotlout will always do what he wants. You know well he'll want trouble wherever he goes."

"True. But still, I don't understand why he blames _us_ for Spitelout's death, especially my dad. It pained me when I was forced to kick him out of the dragon riders as a whole, but now look at what he's doing... Hel, something tells me that Hookfang doesn't want him as his rider anymore..."

"...Oh gods, I don't know what to do."

"Eh, don't stress about it laddie. One day he'll get what's coming for him either way," said Gobber. "I hope the trolls will come down from the hills to wreck that blasted outpost."

Astrid nodded in agreement. "Still Hiccup, you did the right thing," she replied, reaching out to hold his left hand, resting on the table. "...But next time, be there in time, will you? Or else I'll kick you in the shin again - and I won't try to miss."

The young viking chuckled. "I will try. Right now though I just want to get the thought of Snotlout off of my mind."

"...Umm, what about those elven and dwarven kings that are coming to Berk today?" spoke Ruffnut. "Shouldn't we like… get ready or something?"

"Oh yeah, that's right! The meeting!" gasped Fishlegs. "I hope king Lornduil will like my alf's foil plants!"

"Well let's just hope that this meeting goes by better than the last one with the Outcasts and Berserkers," sighed Astrid. "Berk's state is bad enough as it is, and both those tribes have begun starting disputes with us over resources, almost as if we were never their allies..."

"...Old hatreds are boiling."

Tuffnut chuckled, moving his hand in an announcing manner. "Well I don't know about you, but my guts feel like they're boiling. I mean, you can feel it right? It's down… here-"

"No wait- I mean here…"

"Bro, that's not where your guts are. That's your stomach!" snickered Ruffnut.

"Ugh, I don't need you telling me what's what, sis!"

Soon Gobber, Fishlegs and the Twins had gone off topic, discussing random things that were to their best interests. However, Astrid who sat near Hiccup glanced back at the lad who was leaned forward in his seat, thinking deeply to himself while he held his tankard in both hands.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked him.

He shrugged, rolling his lips. "To be honest Astrid, I don't even know what is or isn't alright anymore. Always I ask myself, _why didn't it work?_ Why couldn't we make Berk into a utopia? A utopia for both vikings and dragons. A raid comes one night, and now look at what's happening."

"Berk's on the verge of dividing… splitting, all because that thick-headed Snotlout blames us for his father's death, and now he has turned half the island against us. But what could we have done? Not even Gothi's magic could have saved Spitelout."

Astrid sighed, cracking her knuckles. "...I guess the gods have _something_ planned for us that we don't know about. Maybe the runestone in the village plaza could give some answers?"

"What answers could I get out of a magical runestone?" he asked her, shaking his head. "Besides, only Gothi can communicate with it. You saw what she did to make it work, remember?"

"Yeah. With a touch of her hand, she made the runes glow with her fire magic. But maybe the stone doesn't need magic to work. Maybe there's a way to-"

Like thunder from the sky, her voice was suddenly cut off as a pair of horns sounding from the sea blew out towards the island of Berk. Almost immediately, the vikings could tell that one was a booming dwarven horn, and the other a piercing elven horn.

Hiccup stood to his feet, looking out the window to his right towards the ocean as he spotted two ships in the distance sailing closer and closer to Berk.

"Looks like they're already here."


	2. Dealing With Tensions

**Before starting I would like to quickly point out that this chapter is shorter than the last. Though it may not be much, it will be quite the chapter. Still, I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless!**

**Now without further ado, let's get right into it!**

* * *

"Oh boy," said Fishlegs, breathing quickly with excitement. "I wonder what they're both going to be like in person. I really hope that they'll be happy with our-"

"Fishlegs we get it, alright?" interrupted Astrid, turning her head back to the hyped Ingerman. "Though I doubt king Lornduil or Morgrim will have much time to greet us. From how I see it, those two ships look like they're in a rush."

"Then we'd better make a quick introduction of ourselves. My dad is probably in the great hall already, waiting for them," stated Hiccup.

By the time the ships made their presence known there were crowds of people gathered in the docks around Hiccup, Gobber and the others, watching as the two vessels from afar came closer and closer to port, and eventually docking in the harbor with ease.

The people spoke with excited tones, and from off the ships came a dozen dwarven and elven warriors; both races easy to distinguish.

The dwarves, though only four feet tall wielding axe, sword and shield, were indeed mighty warriors and crafty engineers. They wore grey dwarven plate and chainmail armor from head to toe - with their orange banners carrying the crest of a white anvil.

The elves however were different. They marched with more discipline, and were taller and more elegant, wearing golden scalemail with flaps of silvery cloth hanging from their waist.

Though if anything, their blue glowing eyes made them all the more attractive to the folk.

Gobber rolled his eyes as he shook his head. "Show off."

Finally, off the ships came both the dwarven and elven kings; Morgrim and Lornduil.

Lornduil's blue eyes and silver hair caught the attention of many, and his armor was as well better crafted than his guards, thus everyone could easily tell that it was the elven king.

The same went for king Morgrim and his flaming red beard. The crown with red gems he wore, and his dwarven plated gear and brown fur cloak made it easy for people to know it was him.

With both kings now in their presence, it was time to address them.

"Gobber… do your thing." nodded Hiccup.

The blonde viking nodded back as he approached the two kings, giving them a respectful low bow.

"Greetings, mighty kings! Welcome to Berk! Please allow me to introduce myself-"

"Ah shut it will ye? The last thing we need is bootlickin' from people like ye!" exclaimed Morgrim. "Just lead us tae yer chieftain, and make it swift. We have little time fer yer pleasantries!"

"Indeed." Lornduil responded in agreement. "I too came here for a reason, and I want to get this over with. Now if you would, bring us to Stoick the Vast."

It seemed as if Gobber was already about to blow out of anger, but a quick nudge from Hiccup caught his focus as the young viking shook his head. One wrong move and the whole thing would just become ruined.

"...Gobber. _Please, _do as they say."

The older viking sighed with irritation, turning back to the two kings. Though he did not show it in his expression, deep down he was frustrated and angered with the attitudes of both kings.

"Right, I will take you straight to him, king Morgrim and Lornduil… Erm- this way."

Gobber gave a motion with his hook, urging the two kings to follow him as they both began marching with their guards behind the old blonde viking, making their way up the ramparts and eventually into the town, focused on heading towards the great hall.

As soon as they were out of sight and the crowds of villagers started to disperse, Hiccup looked back to the riders and their dragons with a sigh. His face gave quite an unpleasant look.

"Well wasn't _that_ quite an introduction? I already have a bad feeling about this."

"Hey, it could've been a lot worse," said Tuffnut. "Just like that one time when Dagur tried to drown you when we were-"

Astrid rose her hand, interrupting the chatty Thorston. "Alright Tuffnut, we don't need to hear that… Now, what should we do next? Hiccup?"

"I'm going to join my parents in the great hall with Toothless. I need to hear what they're going to say. The rest of you, stay back with your dragons and look after the ships. I have a feeling that they're both going to be in for a rude greetings…"

…

* * *

The elves and dwarves all sat in the great hall around the chieftain's table, with Hiccup, Stoick and Valka, the wife of the chieftain, at the head of it along with Gobber and Toothless standing nearby on guard.

As the two kings and their guards quietly chattered, Stoick soon stood to his feet and slammed his hand against the table three times to get their attention, silencing the hall of any voices.

With their attention drawn to the Berkian chieftain he then sat back down in his chair, clearing his throat as he began.

"King Morgrim of Khaz'ardul. King Lornduil of Lightwood. I am Stoick the Vast, chieftain of the Berkian Tribe, and I have called you here for a reason. To discuss making relations between our factions."

Lornduil looked at Stoick in an almost ridiculed manner. "Making relations? You have to be joking if you really believe there will be any relationship between my kingdom and your tribe."

"Aye, can't disagree with the pointy elf," Morgrim nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Why d'ye want tae make these_ "relations"_ with us? We fight fer dwarves, not fer humans. So please, do make it quick, or I'll turn around and walk out..."

Stoick sat in silence at first, wondering how they would react once giving them his full reasoning. Looking back at Valka however, her face told him that they should proceed as planned as she gave him a nod. "Go ahead, Stoick..."

He then looked back at the two kings who sat impatiently, awaiting an answer.

"I want to create a potential alliance for our three factions."

Suddenly the great hall bursted into an uproar. The elves and dwarves looked at one another, giving off baffled expressions and looks from Stoick's offer.

"Ye can't be serious!" laughed Morgrim. "Why would we ever make an alliance with ye?!"

Lornduil crossed his arms. "Your offer is most foolish, Stoick the Vast. You're really insisting that we should ally ourselves with you?"

"Yes," he replied as he sat up straight. "Please, think about what we could get out of this if we all allied up. We could reinforce one another from outside threats, keep our people under safer protection, secure trade routes, and even supply each other against any foe."

"Bah! Why would ye ever consider such an offer, viking?! Ya expect us tae make an alliance with ye, all without even considerin' the fact that ye'll be making more problems fer my people! We can't help yer tribe out while my kingdom has its own conflict with the _blacksteel dwarves_; those mercenary gits who make machines o' war fer bootlickin' viking tribes like ye!"

"The blacksteel dwarves are no surprise to us. We've dealt with them before," announced Hiccup, standing from his seat.

Morgrim glanced at Hiccup, raising a curious brow. "Really now? Please, do enlighten us, human."

"Over a year ago, a warlord by the name of Drago Bludvist, along with his army of vikings and dragons, tried to conquer the Archipelago. He had blacksteel dwarves working for him to run his war machines, and yet we were the ones who dismantled his army. _We_ were the ones who defeated Drago and his Bewilderbeast, right here on Berk. If anything, you should be grateful that we-"

"We too could have dealt with him as easily," interrupted Lornduil, standing from his seat. "The lightland realms have been guarded by thousands of elven warriors for nearly a millennia, and for a millennia, none of our foes could penetrate through them. This Drago Bludvist seems like nothing but an amateur,"

"...As are the dwarves who fought with him, just like any dwarf is."

Lornduil made his words loud enough for Morgrim to hear as the dwarven king slammed his hand against the table, infuriated.

"What did ye just say about my kind ya POINTY-EARRED PRINCESS?! ARE YA LOOKIN' FER A FIGHT?"

The elven king chuckled in amusement. "Just like every dwarf. Arrogant and stupid."

"We'll see who laughs last when I crush yer skull in with my hammer!" threatened Morgrim, furiously standing to his feet as he unsheathed his large runic warhammer, clutching both of his hands against the long hilt. "I'd rather fight than work with an elf!"

Lornduil laughed as he reached for his staff, slamming the base of it against the stone floor, which in turn caused the crystal at the head to glow violently with fire magic.

"Don't try me, dwarf. You would not be able to reach me with those stubby little legs of yours."

By this point, both kings were shouting insults at each other while their guards sat there with shocked looks on their faces. By history, both races hated each other, but at that moment, neither side wanted a fight, and nor would there be one.

Stoick curled his right hand into a fist and slammed it hard against the table, interrupting both kings.

"ENOUGH!"

Lornduil and Morgrim looked back at Stoick, still irritated with one another. It was clear that their moods had gone completely downhill.

But the large viking sighed, looking at the kings with disgust.

"Look at you two! All you ever do is fight just because of your history of hating one another! Because of your damned old hatreds! Can't you for once set aside your hate, and have the DECENCY to at least listen to what we have to say!? Put away your weapons, and sit down!"

Although the two kings were about to go at each other's throats, they persisted and did as Stoick asked of them, sitting back down in their seats without question as they resheathed their weapons.

"So, what d'ye have tae say tae us then? Hm?" grunted Morgrim. "I still want tae know what makes ye think that we would ever ally with ye and elven scum like-"

"It's not about if we want to or not," spoke Hiccup, making his say in the conversation. "And like Morgrim, we too have our problems here on Berk... But they are getting out of hand, and we need dire help."

Lornduil arched a brow. "Is that so? And what kind of _problems_ do you speak of, young one?"

"I'm talking about Berk's overall situation. The island is on the verge of dividing. The people are split because we stand against ourselves; against one another... But then there are the raiders who are a whole nother story."

"Raiders, eh?" responded Morgrim.

Hiccup nodded. "Yes, and they are the reason why our island is divided. It all started months ago when they came small in number and made a surprise attack, and since then their numbers have begun to grow with every raid."

"Well what d'ya expect from vikings, lad?" asked Morgrim, crossing his arms. "Vikings are raiders! They'll always raid anyone they see as an enemy so they can-"

"Who said that they were vikings? As a matter of fact they aren't even humans, or of any race I know!"

Hiccup's words silenced both the elven and dwarven king as they sat there in wonder and slight shock. It was indeed quite curious. If they were not humans, not elves, and not dwarves, then who?

Lornduil leaned in, focusing his attention on the young man. "What are these raiders you speak of? Who are they?"

The lad shrugged with a sigh. "We don't know. But all I can say is that out of all the races and creatures I have seen on Midgard in both books and in person, they are something I have never seen before. "

"Aye," said Valka. "Still, they are the reason life on Berk has become difficult. We can't keep up like this if they keep wrecking the village over and over again and continue forcing us to use up more of our resources."

"Our problems with Berk dividing are one thing, but this- this is something else…"

Lornduil and Morgrim looked at each other with grim faces. Despite their dislike for one another, they were curious as to if the situation with the raiders was as legitimate as it sounded.

However, just as they were about to speak they then heard a growl, and from the corner of their eyes they spotted Toothless flexing his teeth out and looking towards the doors of the great hall with an aggressive look.

To Hiccup, he immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Toothless?"

Suddenly the great hall shook. Small grains of rocks from the ceiling began falling on top of them as the sound of banging outside turned everyone's attention towards the great doors.

"By the gods, what is that?" gasped Stoick.

But before they knew it, a runner came rushing swiftly into the great hall, almost breathless.

"Chief! We're being attacked! The raiders are besieging the harbor! They came out of nowhere with twenty longships, heavily armed!"

Hiccup's eyes widened as a chill ran down his spine. "The harbor?! But if they're attacking the docks then that means- Oh no…"

"...What is it, Hiccup?" asked Valka, noticing the worry in Hiccup's tone.

"Astrid and the others! I left them behind to guard the ships! ...Mom, we have to get out there, NOW."


	3. Pushing Them Back

**This came out longer than I wanted, but it will still do for the raid that will go down and happen in this chapter, though I don't _officially_ consider it as a full-on battle.**

**Also, just so you guys know I decided to drop a Lord of the Rings reference a few times in the dialogue, so see if you can spot them!**

**Now with that out of the way, let us continue!**

* * *

If there was one word that the people of Berk described the raiders, they were monsters. Brutal monsters.

Hiccup and the others however saw them as more than that. The raiders were hulking and muscular, built for battle. Their skin was as gray and as dark as rock. They wore black plate armor from head to toe with some of them not even wearing helmets, allowing for their monstrous faces to be shown...

Tusks grew from their broad jaws. Their teeth were sharp and intimidating, and their eyes glowed green with something Hiccup could only describe as evil and outlandish.

Even as the raiders launched boulders onto the town, the people were already in a panic.

As Hiccup and his parents along with Toothless, Gobber, and Lornduil and Morgrim rushed out of the great hall they could see the raiders from afar on their black sailed longships, spread out along the coast firing their catapults and laying waste as much as they could to the town.

Hiccup scanned his eyes over the situation, and it was not looking good. From how he saw it, there were at least four hundred raiders in total. Twenty per longship.

"Looks like they've already set a few houses on fire near the docks. If we don't get the people down there out of there then the raiders will just cut them down!"

"I'll rally a regiment and have them get the folk to safety. They're my people, thus they're my responsibility," stated Stoick. "You go help Astrid and the others in the harbor, they'll need you."

Hiccup nodded, looking back at his Night Fury who then swiftly crouched down for his rider as he quickly mounted up and flew off with his dragon, making their way towards the harbor.

Stoick then turned his attention on both his wife and Gobber. "Valka, rally as many riders as you can and put out those flames. They'll begin to spread if we don't do something about it. Gobber, send word to Snotlout and get him over here. We may need his aid."

"Are you crazy, Stoick? Last time he sent "aid" he only brought a dozen warriors with him, and he was late! Have you forgotten that he still despises us?"

"Remember that our enemy is also his enemy. It's better to get some aid rather than none at all... Now go find Grump and get moving! Valka?"

"I'll see to it that Cloudjumper and I get this sorted," she nodded, running off towards her hut to get Cloudjumper while Gobber rushed to the workshop to get Grump.

Stoick then looked back to the dwarves and elves. "Well?"

"...Gah! A fight is better than none at all!" laughed Morgrim, raising his runic warhammer as the runes glowed brightly. "Tae arms, warriors! _BARUK KHAZÂD!"_

The dwarves let out bellowing cheers, unsheathing their weapons as they rushed down the great stairs with their king at the front - ready for combat.

Lornduil and his elves too were quick to follow, not saying a word as they ran off to the town with their blades unsheathed and their bows at the ready…

Down at the docks however, things were not looking any better.

Two ships had already entered the harbor, each filled with twenty raiders who were shooting at Astrid and the riders with arrows and catapult fire.

The group flew around atop their dragons with evasive maneuvers, dodging what they could whilst firing back at the raiders. But even with their firepower, it was not enough to strike down their enemy.

Astrid would not have this.

In a quick move she flew Stormfly towards the left flank of a raider longship, before commanding her dragon, "Spine shot!" and with a strong whip of her tail, Stormfly sent tail spikes flying down at the raiders.

Though they were heavily armored, the tails spikes found their mark and brutally impaled five of the raiders to their deaths. But even with the dragon riders' slight advantage, it would not be enough to turn the tide.

The raider captain who commanded the now dead raiders looked back at the rest of his warriors. "Shoot faster, maggots! Get them out of the sky!"

As the rate of fire from the raiders increased, Astrid looked back at the other riders with frustration. "We can't continue to fight like this! We need to get them off our tails! Any ideas?!"

Before anyone could have answered, the sound of a loud screech filled the air as everyone's attention, including the raiders', looked to the skies as a black speedy dragon and his rider came flying in swiftly.

As Toothless neared the two long ships, Hiccup said loudly to his dragon, "Plasma blast!"

The Night Fury charged up his attack, and from out of his mouth he hurled a bolt of purple fire towards one of the longships which upon impact blasted the vessel to shreds.

The raider crew and their captain as well did not stand a chance as they were burnt into oblivion before both them and their ship were sunk to the bottom of the harbor.

Hiccup looked at Astrid with a small smirk. "Am I late?"

"On the contrary, your timing could not have been any better!" she called out to him. "Still, we could have used your help a bit earlier-!"

"Shoot them down!" shouted the voice of a raider.

The crew of the second vessel below them once again started firing their arrows up at the riders, causing them to spread out and fly about to dodge the arrow fire. However, Toothless would see to it that they would be quickly taken care of.

The Night Fury stopped in place as his spine suddenly began to glow blue with the mark of the alpha before letting out a mighty and authoritative roar that echoed around the area.

Hiccup looked down at his dragon with a questioning look. "Toothless? What are you...?"

From all around, a series of several roars responded back to Toothless's call, and from out of the blue, half a dozen dragons flew in with their mouths opened and lit, ready to help out their alpha and burn the enemy.

One of the raiders noticed this and looked back to their captain. "Captain, look!"

The captain arched a brow as his green eyes narrowed towards the dragons that lined up behind Hiccup and Toothless, but before he could react both him and his crew were suddenly met with a rain of fire as the dragons and their alpha breathed flames onto them, desecrating the raiders and their ship to cinders.

After the raiders and their ship were quickly taken care of, Hiccup looked back to Astrid and the others who gazed at him with frowned looks on their faces.

"What?!"

"Erm- you know you could have done that earlier!" sighed Fishlegs as laid a hand on his forehead.

"Well at least we've taken care of this lot," replied Astrid. "...with eighteen other crews left to go through."

"They've divided their forces across the coast and are attacking separate parts of the village," said Hiccup. "Our best chance of taking them on is to split up and deal what damage we can to them..."

"Ruff, Tuff, I want you two to head to the plaza and help out with the defense there. The raiders will most likely try to climb the cliffs and strike there. Fishlegs, I want you to go with them."

"And what about me?" asked Astrid.

"You're coming with me Astrid," he nodded at her. "I remember seeing something happening near the arena while I was flying over here, and I need you to help me investigate. From what I can tell - it doesn't look good..."

"Now, let's get moving!"

Without another word, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs and the Twins separated and flew off with their dragons towards their objectives while the other dragons that came to Toothless's side were left behind to guard the harbor.

As Hiccup and Astrid flew over the village, they were able to catch a glimpse of the situation.

Fights and skirmishes broke out in the streets between dozens of vikings and raiders, with one side overpowering the other as the raid was heating up.

The town center however was where the bigger fight took place as a massive brawl went down, with a hundred raiders going up against two hundred Berkian vikings led by Stoick. However even with the vikings' greater numbers, the raiders were still stronger in comparison.

It was thanks to the elves who fought swiftly and shot their arrows accurately along with the dwarves who battled valiantly and roughly that the Berkians were standing a chance.

Even from above, Hiccup and Toothless could hear the dwarves shouting out their war cries.

"_BARUK KHAZÂD!"_

"_KHAZÂD AI-MÊNU!"_

Astrid shivered with dread, watching the fight rage on. "I've never seen a raid this big before… how many do they even have to throw at us?"

"I don't know," shrugged Hiccup as he gazed over the situation. "I am honestly beginning to feel like something is not right with these raiders. It was eight months ago during their first raid they brought a dozen, but now hundreds?"

"How many of them are even out there to begin wi-?"

"Wait, look!"

Astrid suddenly pointed towards the bridge from afar leading towards the arena, and upon looking across it, Hiccup's fear was soon realized.

The raiders managed to circle five of their ships towards the cliffs near the arena before climbing them and assembling on the other side of the bridge.

From the way they saw it, they could tell it was at least a hundred of them.

"Oh no…" gasped Hiccup as he looked down at his dragon. "Toothless, get us over there!"

Toothless huffed out a breath of air from his nostrils, bolting his way towards the end of the bridge opposite from the raiders.

Astrid and Stormfly were both quick to follow, and soon the four of them landed on the opposite side from the raiders who were already marching towards them and the village.

The two Vikings swiftly dismounted, with Hiccup unclipping Inferno and retracting it from it's hilt and Astrid unsheathing her axe from her back.

The raiders, upon noticing the two Vikings and their growling dragons, halted their march and glared down the defiant warriors. The grip on their axes, hammers, and swords tightened along with their shields.

It was then however that a larger figure stepped out from the ranks, particularly a raider commander who carried a great axe and wore no helmet which allowed Hiccup to see his monstrous look.

If anything, the commander was at the very least a foot taller than Hiccup's father. He knew well that if he crossed blades with the large brute, it would not be an easy fight.

The commander gave a wicked grin, showing off his teeth and tusks. "Well well well! Take a look at this! Two maggoty vikings and their _animal-loving_ dragon gits stand between us and our prize! You are foolish to intercept us, boy!"

"Yeah, that's what they always say!" responded Hiccup, clutching his right hand into a fist. "But if you really think we'll let you cross this bridge, then you are mistaken!"

"You fool," the raider cackled. "It is you who is mistaken for thinking you could stand up against us… WARRIORS! Run them down!"

The raiders swiftly stormed passed their commander and started to charge both Hiccup and Astrid with bloodcurdling war cries, but little did they know was that they were about to fall into a trap.

From Hiccup's flanks, the elves and the dwarves came out of nowhere and ran to his side, led by both Lornduil and Morgrim.

Lornduil stood tall, raising his staff up before ordering to his elven guards with their bows in hand; _"LEITHIO!"_

The twelve guards suddenly let loose their arrows, flying them head on into the raiders' ranks which found their marks perfectly, taking out six of them.

Lornduil then quickly followed by pointing his staff towards them which glowed violently with fire magic, casting forth three fireballs onto three of the raiders and launching them off the bridge in flames, screaming and roaring.

Soon Toothless, Stormfly, and the dwarves too began firing onto the raiders along with the elves, with the dwarves letting loose their bolts from their crossbows which would all in all be enough to slow their foe down.

While this was going on, Hiccup stared back at the elven and dwarven king. "You two came to help us out?"

"We didn't come here tae save yer hides! We came here tae fight!" said Morgrim as he lifted his warhammer, glowing brightly with runic energy from it's runes.

Lornduil bowed his head in agreement to Morgrim, despite their hatred for one another. "Now if you would, do what you do best and aid us…"

Hiccup nodded, glancing back at the raiders who were still struggling to cross the bridge. With his hands tightly holding onto Inferno, he and Astrid both stormed across the bridge towards their foe, with Morgrim and his dwarves following up.

"_BARUK KHAZÂD!" _roared Morgrim.

Hiccup felt his blade clash with metal as soon as he entered combat, and although the raider he met with overpowered him, he was not entirely outmatched.

The scrawny viking brought his blade up, slashing a fiery cut at the exposed neck of the brute before striking at the side, causing a wound on a vulnerable part of his chest which in turn made the raider stumble off the bridge to their death.

He did not stop there however. He continued his assault, moving onto another raider who attempted to bash his mace onto Hiccup from above. His slower pace however allowed Hiccup to quickly dodge out of the way before stabbing Inferno through the side of the raider's weakened chestplate and pushing him off the bridge with a rough kick.

Whilst Hiccup fought, Astrid was doing better than she anticipated.

As she pushed her axe against the sword of a raider she fought, the brute attempted to reach out with it's mouth opened and painfully bite at Astrid, but the shieldmaiden saw this as her opportunity.

She quickly pushed the raider's weapon to the side with her axe and immediately responded by impaling him through the jaw with it, causing immense pain to the brute.

Using her leverage she then swung the raider towards the edge of the bridge with her axe still intact with it's jaw and brutally launched him off. As she did, her weapon loosened from the gorey wound, allowing her to pull it back to her side, ready to move on.

She continued forward, swinging her axe with all her strength and speed at the raiders, taking them down as if she were chopping down trees.

Morgrim on the other hand was having quite the time of his life taking on this new foe. Though they were bigger compared to him, they were in a sense weaker than him. After all, his runic hammer gave him the ability to smash them apart.

The dwarf's weapon met with a raider who wielded axes in both hands, attempting to slice the dwarf in two. But little did the raider know was that he was all too easy for the dwarf to handle.

With a single strike to the chest, Morgrim knocked the air completely out of the brute before bashing it's head in despite the helmet protecting it, crushing the raider instantly.

_"KHAZÂD AI-MÊNU, BUGGERS!"_

As a whole, the raiders were not having a good time. From the very back of the long line the raider commander could see his warriors being tossed aside and off towards the rocky cliffs below them.

With the combined forces of Hiccup and Astrid and their dragons, as well as the dwarves and Morgrim and the elves who fired their arrows along with Lornduil who kept casting, there became too of them few left to fight.

"Finish up!" called out Hiccup.

And soon they started to flee.

"Retreat, maggots!" one of them shouted, turning tail and running past their commander.

The raider commander growled at his warriors. "Cowards! Come back and fight!"

Despite their retreat however, they would not make it out alive.

Toothless who had been firing his plasma blasts saw that the remaining dozen raiders started to retreat, thus he would make the finishing blow.

His mouth lit up with purple fire, and in a successful and effective strike he hurled one last plasma blast at the group, particularly towards the commander.

The large brute let out a roar as the dragon's blast came close before bursting into flames, causing an explosion that was enough to send the remaining raiders flying off the bridge, burning.

Through their victory the dwarves and elves cheered, raising their weapons in superiority to their foe.

Hiccup on the other hand let out a breath of cold air as he crouched down, trying to catch his breath.

"Well… looks like we won."

"Yeah," sighed Astrid. "But we still need to deal with rest of them in the town!"

Morgrim rolled his lips, waving his hand. "Yer warriors managed tae push them back as soon as yer friends an' their dragons showed up. By now they should be-"

His words suddenly cut off upon turning his back. From the distance he saw a dozen more raiders charging at them, roaring with bloodlust.

"ODIN'S BEARD!" shouted Morgrim in frustration. "There's MORE of them!?"

As Hiccup, Astrid and the others prepared to counter-charge them, something happened that they did not see coming.

From above the raiders a fiery rift opened up, and from it a large flaming boulder came crashing down on them, causing an explosion that enveloped the brutes in a bright fire.

Everyone immediately looked away as they braced themselves, but upon looking back they saw that the raiders were no longer there. As a matter of fact, they were reduced to nothing but ashes.

Right away Hiccup and Astrid knew who it was that casted that meteor.

Through the smoke they saw the elder Gothi, whose hands and staff glowed with bright fire magic. Though she was old, her magics were indeed powerful.

Hiccup took a few steps forward and gave her a nod. "Gothi! You made it just in time."

The elder bowed her head in respect as she motioned with her hand for them to follow, and so they quickly rushed to her side and thus began marching through the empty battle-torned streets, insisted on heading towards the town plaza.

While walking, Hiccup looked down at Gothi and asked, "How is my father doing?"

…

* * *

Stoick lobbed his axe into the head of a raider, watching as the remnants ran towards the edge of the cliffs in an attempt to jump into the sea and flee to their remaining ship.

Yet as they ran, Stoick let out a whistle which alerted his dragon, and from behind, Skullcrusher came storming up - charging towards the fleeing raiders head first and head on.

The raiders were quickly crushed to bits. Skullcrusher merely ran over them like grass and swung his head at them, launching them into the sea with them carrying only broken bones.

And soon, there was not a single raider left in the village.

Stoick quickly ran near the edge of the cliffs to see the result, but to his surprise one ship managed to escape. He spat on the ground as he saw it sail off into the distance with its small crew.

Out of the four hundred raiders that came to Berk, only six managed to escape with their lives.

The chieftain grunted as he dropped his axe in exhaustion. "Gah! And they run away yet again!"

"...Dad?"

The voice of his son suddenly made Stoick turn around, and before him stood Hiccup along with Astrid, Gothi, and their dragons as well as the elves and dwarves. To this the chieftain sighed in relief.

Hiccup took a step towards his father. "Are you alright?"

"Mostly," he nodded. "But a vessel managed to slip through our grasp yet again. They escaped."

Hiccup gave a distasteful look, shaking his head while looking out to sea at the distant longship. "Out of all the raids we've had, can't we at least get rid of ALL of them for once? Their raids are becoming a huge pain."

"Well, at least we won," Astrid reassured him. "...But what about the village?"

The thought of the village made everyone turn to face back at the plaza behind them which was littered with the fallen.

Aside from the raiders, many of their own were injured and wounded from the raid while others too fell in battle. Those who survived managed to make way to the great hall for treatment and healing as well as safety, but the damage already done was great.

Stoick gave a disgruntled look. "We lost at least a hundred warriors… and that does not count the twenty villagers who were unfortunate to cross paths with the raiders..."

"Still. Where in the name of Midgard was Snotlout when I asked for him?"

…

* * *

"You YET AGAIN let us down, Snotlout."

"Pfft please, you know I couldn't have arrived anytime sooner, Stoick."

Stoick and Snotlout were in the great hall having a heated argument near the chieftain's table, with Hiccup, Astrid, and the riders watching the turmoil unfold. With them stood also Gobber, Valka, and a dozen Jorgenson guards as well as the elves and dwarves.

From the looks on their faces, they knew things were about to get overheated. Even the wounded and exhausted villagers who were spread out around the great hall became concerned with what was going on.

"What do you mean you couldn't have arrived any quicker!? Gobber told me that as soon as he arrived to your outpost - you were sitting on the back of your dragon watching your workers build your blasted camp, all while you ate a mutton like some sort of ignorant king!"

"You have a DRAGON for Odin's sake-"

Snotlout laughed hysterically, wiping a tear that nearly went down his face. "That is a bold way of describing someone like me who owns_ half_ of Berk. Also, mind you that I have other matters of my own to worry about."

"And not _our_ people?"

"Ha, you mean _your_ people?"

The way Snotlout spoke in his scoffed manner made Stoick want to pounce on the young viking and knock some sense into him. By now he had had enough of Snotlout's excuses…

Then again, he did not want violence nor a possible civil conflict to break out.

Snotlout smirked at Stoick's reaction. "My people of Clan Jorgenson are well safe on our side of the island in our village, thriving in gold, while your tribe is sinking into the dirt."

"Sinking into the dirt?!" the chieftain spat. "I was the one who helped build your village with my consent on the other side of Berk, all while fighting off the raiders! All you have ever done is mock us and rob us of our-"

Snotlout waved his hand with an ignorant fashion. "I am not interested in what you think of us, Stoick," he chuckled. "Know that Clan Jorgenson is no longer going to aid you with your raids. If you want help, find someone else."

"...Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to. You have wasted my time, so ta-ta! Guards, follow me!"

As soon as Snotlout began heading towards the doors of the great hall, his guards were quick to start following, marching behind their leader until they were no longer in sight.

Hiccup's expression turned into a frown as he crossed his arms. "He took it one step too far this time."

"Well that's Snotlout for ya," replied Ruffnut. "His arrogance is as arrogant as… well, arrogance."

"Does that even make any sense?" questioned Fishlegs. "I don't even see how it helps in this case."

Astrid shrugged. "Either way, it looks like we're on our own now," she said, but not before turning to face Lornduil and Morgrim. "Unless you two have made up your minds about forming an alliance with-"

"We have," spoke Morgrim. "And the answer is no."

"Indeed," Lornduil nodded. "I will not spend any elvish blood in defense of this accursed isle. Your problems are your own. The light elves of Lightwood will not help you."

"And nor will the dwarves o' Khaz'ardul! Not ever!"

Hiccup's eyes widened with shock. This couldn't be. Even after fighting side by side and witnessing what Berk was truly up against, they were now backing down?

"You- you can't be serious!"


	4. The Vision

It seemed there was no way that the tribe of Berk could convince both races, the elves and dwarves, to side with them and form an alliance. Berk was on its own.

That night, the two races and their kings left the island, all whilst Berk was left to pick up after themselves, and it was also on that night that they feasted.

In the great hall, nearly the entire Berkian Tribe was gathered up for a feast to honor those who fell in battle that day, and who were now finding glory in the Halls of Valhalla alongside the Aesir and Odin.

It was quite surprising that everyone could fit into the great hall however, considering that the Berkian Tribe had a population of three thousand. But unlike most great halls, theirs was built into a mountain, and as such, it offered ample amounts of space for all...

Aside from the villagers who were present within the great hall, the dragons were there as well. Hundreds of them, sitting and standing with their fellow riders and having a great time.

At the chieftain's table, Hiccup, Astrid, and the riders sat together, eating their fill and drinking mead, celebrating their victory as their stress from the heavy work that day was shrugged aside, all whilst Stoick, Valka, Gobber, and Eret - who was a former dragon trapper, were having a conversation of their own.

As Hiccup's friends continued feasting, the young heir of Berk stared back at Toothless, who sat nearby feasting off a large bucket of fish.

"He must be really hungry," he sighed. "I bet he hardly gets to have moments like these. I mean- look at how fast he's eating..."

"Well, that's what happens after a day of hard working and fighting. You get hungry," commented Astrid as she sipped from her stew. "You on the other hand haven't taken a bite from your food, mister."

Hiccup arched a brow as he turned around to face forward in his seat - but she was right. Upon looking down he saw that his bowl of stew and his leg of chicken, sitting on a plate off to the side, was untouched.

"Oh, right," he chuckled, taking ahold of his spoon as he took a loud slurping sip from his warm stew.

"Mind your manners!" Astrid reminded him, to which he laughed heartily.

"If you say so, milady. But I'm not the only one eating like this!"

As the couple went on with joking with one another, music suddenly began playing in the center of the great hall, attracting many glances.

The bards grabbed ahold of their instruments. The lute strummed, the drum banged, the fiddle fidgeted, and the horn-pipes began blowing. Soon they began to play a cheery tune, with much of the hall laying their eyes on them.

And then the band began to sing:

"_Have you heard of the one whose name is Brann?"_

"_He who saved the innocent as fast as a ram!"_

"_He walked on mountains and he walked through valleys,"_

"_He marched through battle where his foe would rally!"_

"_A smile to the good and fair is all he gave,"_

"_Never sad nor flaming mad, but always brave!"_

"_But when the foul and evil would cross his path,"_

"_He would unleash the Allfather's wrath!"_

The bards bobbed their heads side to side as they happily sang and sang throughout the hall, with crowds of people watching, dancing, or sitting in their seats with smiles on their faces as they clapped to the rhythm.

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other. "Brann?" they both asked in unison.

"Aye!" spoke Gobber, grabbing their attention. "Brann is among the most legendary vikings to ever walk Midgard! Or so they say. Alas, we don't know whether he exists or not."

"But what kind of man is he?" asked Astrid. "The song makes it sound hard to believe, at least to me. Surely he isn't…"

Gobber nodded with a chuckle. "Ah, but he is! Poets and songs describe Brann as being a tall and muscular man who carries nothing but a shield as his weapon. They say the shield is stronger than the skull of a large ram; blessed by Odin, thus it is nearly unbreakable."

"As for his personality, people say he is the kindest and fairest viking out there. He is never angry at those who are good and fair, like us. He would even risk his life to protect the smallest of innocent creatures! But to those who are evil and wicked, he beats them down into Helheim!"

"Geez," Hiccup replied, sipping from his tankard of mead with widened eyes. "I see why they call him a legend. But I have never heard of any kind of viking like him."

"Aye, many have not," Gobber nodded in agreement. "But remember that he is just a legend. We don't know if he is real or not."

"Right," nodded Hiccup. "Well, if you wouldn't mind, I am going to get some fresh air... Astrid, would you like to join me?"

"Thought you'd never ask," she said as she stood from her chair, grabbing ahold of Hiccup's hand as the two hastily made their way through the crowds and out through the doors of the great hall.

But not without their dragons…

…

* * *

It was a bright night above them. The clouds were radiant with moonlight, and the blue and white stars above them glowed brightly, like that of the northern lights.

Hiccup and Astrid sat on the hill near Stoick's hut, looking up at the night sky with amazement while Toothless and Stormfly like the dragons they were chased each other in circles around the two vikings, fooling about.

The couple laughed as they continued staring up at the sky, laying their heads against each other.

"Mmm, I love nights like these," giggled Astrid, narrowing her eyes back at Hiccup. "Don't you wish we could have them more often?"

Hiccup nodded with a light chuckle. "Yeah. But with my dad pressuring me on learning the "basics" of becoming a chieftain, I have had barely any spare time on my hands."

"Plus, there are also many important matters," he added on.

"Well, that's Stoick for you. Then again, you are the heir. You do have responsibilities that you have to-"

"Please don't remind me," he quickly interrupted, glancing back at Astrid with a sigh. "Right now, let's just take this time to appreciate the view. It might be the last we'll ever see of it."

"...Though who knows. Maybe we will see it again one day?"

"Maybe," smiled Astrid. "All that matters is that it's just the two of us, alone… mostly."

"Mostly?"

She sat up straight, pulling her head from Hiccup and clearing her throat with an, "Ahem" as she motioned with her hand at Toothless and Stormfly who were still running around in circles, chasing each other playfully.

"Oh, right," he chuckled. "I nearly forgot about them. But hey- at least it's quality company. Not like they're going to disturb us like Snotlout would-"

Astrid cringed with a slight look of disgust as she heard his name. "Snotlout? Gah, I'd rather have him be as distant from us as possible, or even off Berk as a matter of fact. It's bad enough that he can go wherever he wants…"

Hiccup let out a sigh, leaning forward with his hands crossed. "There goes the moment for tonight I guess. One mention of Snotlout and _everyone_ starts talking about him."

"...Still, I wonder what he is up to."

Astrid arched a brow, shrugging. "He could be up to anything. All I know is that he is never up to any good, especially when he is in his village on the other side of the island."

"He's already done enough damage to us for today," Hiccup commented, now staring out over the horizon. "First he builds an outpost without my dad's permission, and then he breaks all ties of helping us against the raiders… Honestly, he should be grateful that my dad gave him the rights to build a village on the other side of Berk."

"And as well as have the ability for gathering necessities," Astrid added on. "But building an outpost where he wants without permission is out of his power, not to mention he is claiming the hunting grounds for his own like the ungrateful muttonhead he is… I can only say that there's something fishy going on. Don't you agree?"

"...Hiccup?"

It seemed like he was not paying attention. Hiccup's eyes stared down towards the center of the town after noticing something unordinary and suspicious. There was a noticeable glow of orange and light blue colors from where the runestone was. It could not have been a coincidence, could it?

"Astrid, do you see that glow?" he pointed out.

His hand motioned down towards the large plaza, pointing towards the direction of the runestone that was out of sight, thus Astrid too noticed it.

She rose a brow. "Since when was the runestone able to use two magics at once?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, slowly standing to his feet in a hesitant manner. "It can't be Gothi, can it? She is supposed to be asleep by now. ...Though maybe we should find out. Toothless!"

He immediately whistled for his dragon, and quickly Toothless ran to his side as Hiccup already began making his way down the hill towards the plaza, along with Astrid and Stormfly following him.

His footsteps were slow, almost hesitant. He was also as a matter of fact surprised that he even was hesitant as he had not felt like this ever since he was a teenager. Then again, it was one of those moments where he was simply unsure of what to expect.

Upon closing in on the runestone his expectations became clear. The runes on the large enchanted rock glowed with both fire and icy magics, which was actually surprising to Hiccup and Astrid as Gothi barely used ice magic; but rather only fire and healing magics.

Along with that, the runestone could only use one magic at a time. But how was this possible? Was it activated by some mysterious force?

Even Toothless and Stormfly looked at the runestone in confusion. They were smart enough to know that it worked with only one magic, but how two?

The curious Night Fury looked at his rider, crooning in a questioning manner which Hiccup assumed as, _"What is going on?"_

"I don't know, bud," replied Hiccup, inspecting the stone from top to bottom. "This could not have possibly been Gothi's doing. She hardly uses ice magic."

"Hmm, maybe it's waiting for something to trigger it? ...Or someone?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. But I don't know, Astrid. Perhaps we should just-"

"Try to touch it."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes from the runestone and onto Astrid, giving her a confused look. "You can't be serious. You really think I should go along with this?"

"At least try," she said, urging him on. "I already said to you today that maybe the runestone could give answers to our situation. Gothi uses it to receive visions and blessings from the gods, but isn't it strange that it would activate while it's just the two of us around?"

"...We should see what happens. I promise that I'll pull you back if you feel something is wrong, all right?"

Hiccup gulped uncomfortably as he looked back at the runestone. Though he was somewhat convinced, he was not sure what would happen upon touching it. Regardless, he took a few steps forward until he was at least two feet in front of the runestone.

He took one last glance at the enchanted rock, before gently laying his right hand against it.

And for a moment nothing happened…

...

Until he felt a mysterious force of some kind suddenly shut his eyes and pin his feet down. At that moment he was about to panic and call for Astrid, but he bolstered his courage and convinced himself to continue going.

The first thing he saw upon closing his eyes were flames. Bright flames, raging all around him, followed by the sounds of loud whispers that spoke with a heated and burning presence like fire and ash. They chattered, saying random things that made Hiccup beyond confused.

"_Wings… Midgard…"_

"_Fallen… Reunited…"_

"_Valnr… Shadows…"_

"_...Wrecked."_

'Wrecked?' he thought. 'What does that mean-'

Suddenly, the flames around Hiccup immediately dissipated as he found himself standing in the middle of somewhere sandy, with rain falling down from the clouds in the sky above him. He was on a beach. Unable to think entirely on what was going on however, he was unsure what beach he was standing on or even where it was.

However, what he did notice aside from his surroundings was a distant longship wreckage, and around it were the bodies of several vikings - though he couldn't tell who they belonged to from where he stood. Were they his own? Were they from another tribe?

There was not enough time for him to react...

Suddenly everything went black. He was surrounded in darkness with nothing but a soft blue dimmed mist around him, yet at the same time he felt the weight on his legs and eyes slowly begin to lift. And before he knew it, he heard a voice call out to him. It was calming, but it also sounded authoritative.

"_...Seek __**it**__ out in two days time. Only then will you find your answers…"_

'It? What is _it?!_ What on Midgard is going on-!?'

…

The light suddenly hit Hiccup as he backed up from the runestone. He gasped, breathing heavily from what he had just witnessed, so much so that he nearly fell to the ground - was it not for Astrid who leaped out to catch him.

Toothless as well rushed to his side upon seeing his rider in a nerve-racking state, and he stood over him in a guarding manner to make him feel comfortable.

"Hiccup!" she said in a worried tone, holding the shakened lad in her arms. "Are you alright? Did something go wrong? Please- say something…"

"I…"

Hiccup was barely able to get a single word out. He laid there, shaking in Astrid's arms until he felt his exhaustion wash over him, and soon sleep claimed him…

…

* * *

On the other side of Berk, within the village of Clan Jorgenson, Snotlout sat on his throne in his great hall, feasting with many of his vikings along with his right hand Dogsbreath who sat next to him. He spoke of the events that happened that day.

Dogsbreath like Snotlout was muscular. He was loyal to his leader, but not as tempered when it came to heated situations. Still, he too was arrogant and moronic.

"And so I went on to build the outpost regardless of what that beer keg Stoick thought," spoke Snotlout. "And after that fat faced yak Gobber came to me and kept urging me to aid them with pushing back their raid, I made the decision to no longer support them against their raiders."

"It's their problems. Not mine."

"A funny move, if I do say so myself," Dogsbreath chuckled wickedly, all while sipping from his mug of wine, filled to the brim. "Every decision you make, a step closer to devastation for the Berkian Tribe."

"-As well as a step closer to avenging my father," replied Snotlout, tightly gripping his own tankard of wine.

"Hiccup the Useless, Astrid, Fishlegs, the Twins, and Stoick will all be forced to bend to my knee sooner or later, and I will make their lives more than just difficult..."

"Heh, that's gonna be something to laugh at. Though speaking of the Berkian Tribe, are we still going to continue as planned with our-"

"Yes," Snotlout nodded. "Tomorrow, I want you to ride out to the Berkian village and present to them my demand. Make sure to bring a regiment of twelve or so warriors. You will all be given horses for a swift trip."

"Should I also bring Wartihog and Agatha along?" asked Dogsbreath while sipping from his wine.

Once more, Snotlout gave a nod. "You can bring them along as well. You three will make sure that Stoick and that scrawny Hiccup receives my message clearly. "

"And if they refuse?" Dogsbreath added on.

"Then you can threaten and tell them that the Berkian Tribe will officially be an enemy of Clan Jorgenson…"


	5. Demand or Threat?

The sound of soft rain lightly hitting the roof of the hut made Hiccup tiredly blink as a dim light hit his eyes. Judging by the brightness, he could easily tell it was morning.

As he opened his eyes, he noticed the blurry shapes of four figures sitting near him. It was hard to tell who they were however as his sight was still adjusting, but upon clearing up he could finally make them out.

In front of his bed were both of his parents. Stoick and Valka shifted in their chairs and looked at Hiccup with relieved faces as if they were given a miraculous gift on a Snoggletog morning.

To his right were both Toothless and Astrid who was sitting on the side of his bed. She smiled as she noticed his eyes staring back at hers, exhausted, but it was definitely a thankful sight.

"You're awake," she said, relieved. "Thank gods…"

Hiccup nodded, rubbing his eyes as he slowly sat up straight against his pillow, only to be met with a light and warm nudge from Toothless who leaned his head forward.

"Hey, bud."

The lad placed his arms around the dragon and patted his head as he settled it on his rider's lap, relieved to see Hiccup was well in one piece.

Hiccup then looked back at his parents and Astrid. "Are you guys all right? Did I miss anything?"

"We're all fine and well, son," replied Valka, standing from her chair as she went up to Hiccup and softly placed her hand against his cheek. "Astrid told us what happened last night, that you touched the runestone in the plaza. We came as soon as we could after you fell asleep. We were worried and wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Mom, dad," Hiccup began. "I- I had a vision last night after I touched it. At least, I think it was a vision. It just..."

He stopped short of his words. Stoick rose his brows, surprised but also finding it hard to believe. "Wait- it gave you a vision? ...But that can't be possible," he said. "How were you even able to receive visions through that stone, Hiccup?"

"Well like I said before, it was already glowing and activated as soon as we came near it, Chief," Astrid immediately added on. "But we think something else may have triggered it because the runes had both fire and ice magics on it."

"How can that be? The runestone can only use one magic at a time," replied Valka, giving a questioning look as she sat back down in curiosity. "For generations that stone has stood under the protection of each passing elder, and yet it somehow answered to Hiccup... This cannot be a coincidence, can it?"

"Maybe the gods are up to something?" asked Hiccup. "There has to be some sort of explanation of why the stone gave me that vision."

"But the question is, what did you see? What did you hear?" questioned Stoick, becoming more curious. "We must know, Hiccup."

The young lad let out a sigh as he shook his head. It was difficult for him to remember every detail. "I only remember bits, dad. Other than that it wasn't much…"

"Relax, son." Stoick said as he leaned in with attention. His voice became softer. "Just take your time, and it will all come back to you. We are listening."

Hiccup nodded as he narrowed his eyes down in thought before closing down his eyes lids. He began thinking deeply about it, recalling as much as he could, and thankfully he started to pick up whatever he could.

"There was fire all around me, and then there were whispers," he began slowly. "They said to me things like, "Wings, Midgard, Fallen, Reunited, Valnr, Shadows… Wrecked." However, I don't know what any of this really means."

He paused for a moment. "...Eventually the fire dissipated and I saw myself standing on a beach, and there before me was a longship wreckage many yards off in the distance, with the bodies of several vikings around it."

"Were they alive or…?"

"Don't know, mom," Hiccup shrugged to his mother. "I couldn't get a close enough look of who they even were because next thing I knew was that everything went black with just a soft blue mist as my only source of light."

"...And then there was a calming voice that called out to me, saying "Seek _it_ out in two days times. Only then will you find your answers." But I don't know what _it _is."

"Could mean anything," Stoick replied as he rubbed his hand against the bristled hairs of his ginger beard. "Whoever spoke to you must have been someone of great power. Could have been a shaman, another elder, or maybe even some mage that knows about us. Whatever the case however, we should be on the watch."

"Agreed," said Hiccup. "I don't want anyone messing around with my head so that they can hope to get answers out of me in exchange for lies. I think I'll stay away from the runestone for a while, and question whether what I saw was-"

The sound of a pair of steps quickly coming up the stairs immediately cut Hiccup off short of his words, causing everyone to turn their heads towards the door of his room - almost startled.

The door swung open and in came Fishlegs, breathless.

"C- Chief," he began. "You're needed outside. Fifteen of Snotlout's warriors are here."

"What do they want?" he asked, lowering his brows in a frown.

"They come with a demand from Snotlout."

…

* * *

Hiccup was soon back on both legs as he, his parents, Fishlegs, Astrid, and Toothless walked hastily under the light rain towards the rear-gates of the town which was right beside Stoick's hut; along the path leading into the woods.

Astrid sighed with her furred hood raised over her head. "Like we needed more rain."

Upon reaching the small wooden gatehouse, they saw Gobber, Eret, the Twins, and their growling dragons along with a few guards at their side standing before Snotlout's warriors who were a couple of yards outside the gate, all of whom were on horses.

However, there were three Jorgenson warriors that stood out from the rest of them, all of whom Hiccup immediately recognized.

"Oh no," he groaned in irritation. "Dogsbreath, Wartihog and Agatha. What are _they_ doing here?"

Aside from Dogsbreath who was muscular like Snotlout and slightly larger than Hiccup, Wartihog and Agatha were both a different story.

Wartihog was a large viking like Gobber. He was around back in the day during the time that Hiccup was bullied and pushed around by Snotlout and the others. Though there came a point where both he and Hiccup became acquaintances, their ties would not last long at all as he soon sided with Snotlout. Overall, the large black-haired blimp had no respect for others.

Agatha, a scrawny brunette headed viking, was another story to them. Though she too harassed Hiccup in their younger days, she was not well known by the riders from the day they trained their dragons until months ago when Spitelout was murdered. She like many others joined Clan Jorgenson, and quickly but surely she rose through the ranks until she was Snotlout's left hand like Dogsbreath who was his right hand man.

Still, despite her ignorance to others, Snotlout favored her above many others. To him, she was more than what he could have dreamt of during the days he flirted with Astrid.

Aside from them though, Hiccup and Stoick were more concerned as to why Snotlout had sent them before the gates of the town.

Dogsbreath, who soon noticed Hiccup and Stoick along with their group, gave an ugly grin as he chuckled softly and wickedly.

"Well well well, if isn't Useless and his fat ginger keg!" he mocked, causing for the other warriors to laugh in amusement. "Snotlout told us that one way or another you and your lot of jesters would show up!"

Hiccup's brows lowered in annoyance to the commotion Dogsbreath was already trying to make. Even Toothless begun to lightly growl at the ugly pig-faced viking who sat straight on his horse, blinded with pride.

The young viking looked up at Dogsbreath. "Please, do tell us what you have to say, and say it quick without dismounting."

"Who are you to tell us what to do, Useless?!" grunted Wartihog atop his horse. "We came here by Snotlout's orders, and we will do what he wants us to do!"

"Yeah, well this here is our village," replied Astrid, motioning her hand towards the town that laid behind them. "If you want to do what's best, then kindly shut your beer kegged mouth."

Agatha sighed. Her brown eyes narrowing back at Wartihog. "Don't mind her, Wartihog. She's just a high horse like every other Hooligan in this village."

"High horse?!"

"Regardless," spoke Agatha interrupting Astrid. "We come with a demand from Snotlout."

"And what does _he_ want?" asked Stoick, stepping forward in front of the others. "Your leader has already caused enough trouble for my tribe."

"We know," smiled Dogsbreath in a mocking manner. "Now, as for the demand…"

"Our leader Snotlout has made the demand for you to gather for us at least three of your dragons - preferably loyal ones, cage them, and to give them over in the name of Clan Jorgenson. They will become Snotlout's new favored pets, but more than three will do."

"Consider this as a way to make... Peace."

Dogsbreath's eyes then narrowed towards the Twins, grinning with his gritted teeth showing. "Snotlout also did mention you two muttonheads. Who knows, maybe your dragon will do?"

"Whoa, not cool man!" immediately spoke Ruffnut, raising her arms out in front of Barf and Belch. "No way any way is that happening!"

Everyone could not believe what they were hearing. Hiccup especially was pissed and angered. Snotlout was demanding for them to cage and hand over three of their dragons, and all just so that he could make them his pets? It was beyond mad or crazy; it was insane. Taking three random dragons out of the clutches from their village would leave possibly three whole families of vikings in tears seeing their companions get taken away.

Stoick glared angrily, looking up at Dogsbreath. "And if we refuse?"

"If you refuse, then you can ready yourselves for a civil war over this island. You will be considered enemies and brigands to Clan Jorgenson."

Now _everyone_ was angry, especially Eret who was about to pull out both of his short-swords on Dogsbreath, but as he was about to, the Jorgenson warriors replied by laying their hands on their sheathed weapons, including Agatha and Wartihog.

"Careful now, muscle-man," said Wartihog, sneering at the tempted viking. "Make a move against us and you'll find yourself squealing in the dirt like a Berkian dog."

"Why you insolent son of-"

"Wait!" Stoick said as he moved his hand out in front of Eret, motioning for him to not take action.

What followed was a moment of silence, and a pause; a long and dreadful pause as they all stood there in the rain nearly soaked. Stoick paced back and forth in deep thought, thinking and wondering if there was any other form of action he could take without starting a possible civil war over the island. Yet it seemed there was no other option. If he refused, the lives of his people would be at stake.

With a sigh, Stoick turned to Dogsbreath and said, "I accept the demand. Just give us time to-"

"We will return in two days," the young muscular viking interrupted, sneering with a smile. "Until then, prepare the dragons before our return. Snotlout wants his payment on time…"

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have other matters at hand. Wartihog, Agatha, let's ride out - hyah!"

The two young vikings nodded at Dogsbreath, turning their horses around and shouting at them "hyah!" as they and the guards accompanying them rode back into the woods, making their way back towards Clan Jorgenson's village.

However, the demand left Hiccup shook. Though he understood that there was no other way, he looked at his father and said, "Why is this happening, dad?"

…

* * *

"I never thought it would come down to this," spoke Stoick, looking down at a map of Berk on the chieftain's table. "That boy has crossed the line too far this time, and now he is demanding dragons from us!"

They all stood in the great hall, having a heated discussion about Snotlout. Hiccup, the riders, his parents, and Gobber and Eret were all over the place with the arrogant Jorgenson, arguing that his demand could not happen.

Yet they all knew that there was no other choice but to accept the demand, thus they needed an alternate solution in approaching it. Maybe even get back at Snotlout.

"Snotlout's move is possibly just the start of what he plans to do next with the dragons," commented Astrid, leaning forward in her chair next to Hiccup. "If he decides to continue going on like this then many dragons on Berk just may go extinct or start to migrate until there are too few left."

"Aye," agreed Valka who stood near Stoick. "But even with Toothless as their alpha, his role is to protect them all, not to control them. The dragons will choose to either follow their alpha or to leave Berk if this continues to go on."

"Snotlout won't get away with this. I'll make certain of it. In two days alone he has already riled up enough from us." Hiccup sighed, putting a hand over his forehead.

"He's gone insane."

"So what can we do?" asked Fishlegs, standing nearby. "We can't let Berk to continue suffering under Snotlout and his stupid ploys and strategies, but at the same time war is not the answer to fix this."

"Pfft, I doubt war will ever happen," replied Tuffnut, arms crossed as he leaned in his chair. "Y'know, Snotlout never held onto his promises or threats. It's why sis and I always managed to Loki him when we were younger… like usual."

"Hehe, yeah." giggled Ruffnut.

Hiccup shook his head. Clearly he wasn't in the best mood. "That's not the point. Point being is that we have to find a way to get back at Snotlout without causing a civil war over the island. We could try negotiations, but I doubt that could work."

"Aye. Negotiations are not Snotlout's thing," nodded Stoick. "But getting back at Snotlout without starting a conflict may not work. One way or another, he will point at us for anything he finds blameful."

"If anything, we should prepare for the worst."


	6. Looking For Answers

The light rain in the morning was only the start of what was to come as things were now starting to intensify.

A storm gathered over the ocean horizon in the distance. Hiccup and Astrid could see it from the cliffs near the dragon hangar, and already they felt their stomachs grinding as if they ate something bad for breakfast that morning.

"That storm is fast approaching," Hiccup said with his voice lower than usual. "Thor must be in a great battle right now, swinging Mjolnir with all his might."

"I'm concerned more for Berk than what Thor is doing," replied Astrid, growing more worrisome as she could hear the thunder rolling from afar. "Are you sure the huts will hold?"

"Positive," he nodded. "We upgraded the supports on every hut in the village a while ago. That storm shouldn't be able much to them, so there's no need to worry. Plus, we've been adding more stone to them, so it should be difficult for the lightning to burn them."

"Let's hope you're right," she replied, twisting her head towards the dragon hangar nearby. "I'd rather not sleep in the great hall tonight on a stone cold floor... Also, we need to get as many dragons as we can into the hangar."

Hiccup gave a nod. "More than half should be able to fit. The rest of them can hang around in their huts with their riders until the storm is over."

"Gothi said that the storm is going to last all night," Astrid sighed, lightly swinging her arms forward. "As if the rain today wasn't enough. Then again, it is that time of year."

"Yeah," responded Hiccup in agreement. "Either way, I'll see to it that the dragons are gathered up. My mother and father have already made preparations for the town so everyone else should be set."

"Though the same probably can't be said for Snotlout."

"Good," Astrid said with an almost mocking tone towards the thought of Snotlout. "I hope he gets the brunt of the storm since I doubt much of his village will hold long against it."

"Well, we'll see. For now we should prepare ourselves. Did you get Stormfly settled in?"

Astrid gave a firm nod, looking back in the general direction of her hut. "She was in a deep sleep last I checked on her, so right now we're fine. How about you and Toothless?"

"Toothless isn't really one for sleep right now," said Hiccup. "He's more concerned about the storm rather than rest. For some reason he wouldn't stop looking out the window in my room. I wonder what's with him…"

"He's probably nervous, or restless," Astrid replied with a shrug, unsure of what to make of it. "But I think I should be getting myself some shut-eye, otherwise that storm will keep me up all night."

Hiccup lightly chuckled. "Yeah, same here…"

…

* * *

The night was rough.

The storm hit like a hurricane when it reached Berk, and though surprisingly much of the town still stood as it raged on, many knew that it was just getting riled up. The people would soon see what desecration would be brought to Berk.

The roofs of many homes rocked and creaked to the powerful winds that blew against them as if they were breezing over meadows of grass, yet still it raged on, and the damage done would be unimaginable to many despite having worse in recent years.

In lighter news however, it would be Clan Jorgenson's village that would take the smack-down of the storm as Astrid had hoped. Many of their huts were struck by lightning - either set aflame or damaged. Even a few of their food stores were badly wrecked.

It was clear Snotlout would not be in the best mood upon waking up, especially since the morning came so swiftly.

The first crack of light dawned, and the storm had by then already passed over the island of Berk and went off into another direction towards wherever it was led. After all, only Thor knew where to bring the storm.

Once it was fully morning, everyone in the Berkian village came out of their huts to see the devastation that was brought to their town.

Hiccup's eyes widened as he too took a step out of his hut with Toothless, with remnants of rain lightly falling down like sparks from a doused fire.

From atop the hill he could see what the storm had brought to them. Though it was not what he thought it would be, the damage was still in a way extensive. The whole aqueduct system was ruined, a few large windmills were tossed over, and some of the huts here and there were damaged with holes blown in them as a result of the lightning.

He lightly sighed, scanning his eyes over the town. "Thor's beard…" he said with a surprised tone, sounding almost like Stoick. "I never expected that the damage would go as far as to destroy this much. But our water supply, it's-"

"We'll get it fixed," said the voice of Stoick as the chieftain came up from behind, laying a hand on his son's shoulder. "We've had worse than this, Hiccup. I assure you that we can repair this all in no time… hopefully before Dogsbreath and his men return."

"Yeah," Hiccup replied in agreement, though narrowing his eyes down in slight disappointment. "Well, I'd better go check on Astrid and the others and see how they're doing- if they're awake of course."

"You go on ahead," said Stoick, giving Hiccup a pat on the back. "Your mother and I need to help see to the repairs."

Without another word both Hiccup and Toothless made their way down the hill, rushing off hastily to the town center while hoping to see Astrid and the others by Gobber's workshop. To both their surprises, there they were, along with their dragons.

However, it was not in the way that they expected.

The riders were totally exhausted - especially Astrid, who had tiring light bags under her eyes, perhaps from staying up most of the night. From the way she looked, Hiccup could tell she did not have a good night sleep.

"I have a bad feeling for Astrid," said Hiccup to Toothless, leaning his head for a moment closer to the black dragon. "She looks terrible…"

Upon approaching the group, Hiccup gave a friendly wave as he said "hey," to them cheerfully, only to receive mumbled greetings back from them in response.

He rose one of his brows, staring at them with concerned eyes. Now he was definitely curious. What in Midgard had happened?

He sighed. "Are you guys alright?"

"No," Astrid began, somewhat dangling her head as she stretched out her arms and let out a yawn. "Last night was the worst ever. I had to sleep downstairs because the lightning blew a hole in the roof above my room, and I had only a bedroll to sleep on."

"Not to mention Stormfly would not stop squawking…"

"Easy for you to say, Astrid," Fishlegs replied, yawning out his words more than her. "Meatlug wanted to play rather than sleep. She's been nagging me all night and running around the hut like it was a play pen, and I had to fix up my room afterwards. I'm not saying that I don't like Meatlug, but just look at her right now…"

Fishlegs motioned with his hand towards Meatlug who laid next to him, fast asleep and snoring loudly. This simply went to further show that although Gronckles were useful, at times they were just lazy sleepyheads.

"Heh, you guys must've been _unlucky_," chuckled Tuffnut, sitting against Barf and Belch who were sleeping. "Barf and Belch wanted to play stack the yak again. Game was getting old though so we decided to make a new game called _yak the stack."_

"Yak the stack?" questioned Astrid, now irritated in her tone. "And what exactly is the difference? All your ridiculous games sound the same to me."

Astrid was not wrong about it either. The Twins always tended to make the most impossible and ridiculous sounding games compared to actual viking games that were not impossible to play, but stacking a yak with one's bare hands was beyond being out of the question. If anything, only a dragon could lift a yak.

Then again, it was impossible to even stack them.

Still. Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs were not interested, so the Twins lowered their voices down.

Tuffnut rolled his lips. "Wow, Astrid has some nerve…" he dared to say.

"I can still hear you, Tuff!"

Hiccup groaned. Clearly this was not what he expected from them. "I guess Thor really did it this time, eh Toothless?"

The Night Fury gave a nod in agreement, huffing warm air out of his nostrils as he warbled.

"Anyways guys," spoke Hiccup with a high self-esteemed tone, still trying to cheer the others up. "Though our nights may have been bad, why don't we look on the bright side? Remember we've had worse times than this, right? This storm was nothing compared to…"

There was a pause. His attempt at cheering them up had simply backfired. They all looked at him with faces that told him _"really Hiccup?" _which just came to show that their night could not have gotten worse.

"Alright then…" he sighed. "Well, I guess for now we should-"

"_Hiccup!"_

The young lad was nearly startled by the trembling and bellowing voice of his father as Stoick came up from behind. He was clearly in a haste, but in a strange manner.

"Dad?" he asked. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you were helping with the repairs."

"I was, but Eret came by to me with a report from the Long Beach and he said that you may need to check it out. It is very important."

Hiccup was a little bit hesitant. Had something happened? He asked his father, "What is it?"

"...He found a longship wrecked on the shore."

…

* * *

Hiccup was surprised when his eyes laid upon it_. _"I can't believe it. So it _was_ here all along!"

_It._ That was what the voice in his vision was referring to. A _wrecked_ longship. The wreckage. And it was exactly as how Hiccup last saw it.

The sun softly dimmed onto the wrecked longship from behind the clouds as if it was telling them that they were supposed to be there, but now Hiccup was able to get a closer look at the viking bodies surrounding the wreckage; the same vikings he saw from his vision.

And they were definitely not part of Berk.

Fishlegs gulped nervously, glancing at the twelve bodies that laid around them. "Who are they, Eret?"

"I don't know. I've never seen them before. I can only say that they're among no viking tribe I recognize. Their style is… strange."

It indeed was strange to them. The style of clothing and armor the vikings wore was nothing like what Hiccup or even any other tribe in the Archipelago wore.

Their helmets were made of plate, almost the color of silver, with some having horns and others having none. They also wore scalemail armor around their chests and leggings, with the exception being around their arms which revealed their blue wool tunics worn underneath, along with their gloves, belts, and boots which were made out of leather.

They also had gray furred mantles around their shoulders - most likely to protect them from the cold, but it was their cloaks that caught everyone's eyes the most. They were the same color as their tunics; a sea-sky blue color which to Hiccup was more unique than any blue he had ever seen before.

It was in a way... beautiful. Better than a royal purple or red that many vikings tended to wear.

Tuffnut however gave a disgusted a look. "Bleh, what is it with these guys and their blue? Blue tunics, blue cloaks…"

"Yeah, not to mention blue warpaint," Ruffnut giggled snottily, and she was not wrong. Some of them did wear warpaint on their faces.

"Guys, now's not the time for jokes right now," spoke Hiccup. His tone became more serious. "We need to see if there are any still alive. Spread out, and look for survivors."

The riders and their dragons quickly separated out, rushing towards the bodies of each viking and looking through them one by one to check for a pulse.

Astrid was the first to raise up her voice after inspecting one of them. "...This one's dead. There's no pulse."

"S- So is this one! His skin is pale and there's no breath!" Fishlegs called out, almost shakened. "Oh Thor…"

"Dead!" said Tuffnut.

"Dead!" also said Ruffnut.

Eret sighed desperately, seeing as there was no luck thus far. He hovered his ear over the mouth of a nearby viking, hoping to catch a breath from him. Yet again, there was nothing.

"...Also dead."

Hiccup started to feel like the whole situation was hopeless.

He even looked back at Toothless who was sniffing the body of another viking, but not even he could pick up a scent for a sign of life as the Night Fury merely shook his head at him. Dead.

Were they really _all_ dead? The vision he had, the voice he heard... How could this wreckage with dead vikings scattered across the beach give him with any form of answers? There was literally nothing.

...Or so he thought.

"Ugh…"

The breathy groan of what sounded like a young man suddenly took the attention of everyone as their eyes fell upon the figure of a viking who laid flat on their stomach near Hiccup. Could it be?

Hiccup hastily approached the lad with Toothless at his side, flipping him over onto his back to reveal his face.

Among the group of dead vikings, the young man that Hiccup held was the youngest out of them. He could easily tell. He was a blonde-headed and scrawny viking who looked to be as old as him, at least in his early twenties.

And of course, his armor was similar to that of his companions who sailed with him... But it looked better designed.

"Please tell me he's still alive…" begged Hiccup, gently lowering his ear over the lad's mouth and hoping that there was still a sign of life within him.

What then followed was a pause - a long and tensing pause that ceased almost every noise and sound around Hiccup as if the world of Midgard itself went silent… but soon he finally heard it like a light breeze in the wind.

It was a soft breath.

"He's alive…"


	7. Making A New Friend

**Apologies for the delay guys! I had to deal with IRL stuff over the week, but now I can get back to working on this story normally.**

**Anyways, please enjoy!**

* * *

"Ugh…"

The young man groaned in pain from the bruise he felt on the left side of his chest. He felt like a walnut ready to crack open. Then again, the trip by sea was indeed tough.

But at the same time, he felt like he was lying down atop something soft… was it a bed? He did not know where he was.

The last thing he remembered was being picked up by someone before being placed onto a scaly surface - most likely the back of a dragon. The lad did not know what he looked like, but he distinctly remembered his voice.

"_He's alive…"_

Despite what he thought however, he was still more concerned about where he was as he felt his eyes begin to slowly open with the sunny light piercing him, and surely enough, he was indeed laying in a bed.

And he was without his armor. He wore only his blue tunic, and his leather leggings and boots.

Slowly he began to sit up, leaning his back up against the wall behind him until he was sat up straight. But it wasn't until he looked forward that he noticed five young vikings whom he assumed were his age sitting in front of his bed, now looking back at him.

Next to one of them was a dragon. He could tell it was a Night Fury, but he'd never seen one before.

Hiccup stood from his chair, relieved. "He's awake. Thank Odin."

"As well as alive and well," spoke Fishlegs who gave a grin to the stranger. "It's a good thing you made it through. Our elder Gothi did what she could to heal you. How are you feeling?"

The stranger rolled his shoulders nervously, still adjusting himself in the environment that surrounded him. "I- I'm fine… But where am I? What is this place? Why am I-?"

"Relax, you're on Berk. You are safe with us," answered Astrid, giving him a friendly smile in an attempt to make him feel welcomed. "We found you on shore the Long Beach, unconscious but alive. Unfortunately your longship was wrecked, and your crew was-"

"Wait, my crew...?" the stranger asked, now feeling more uncomfortable than before. "W- Where are they? Did they make it too?"

"Uh oh," whispered Ruffnut. "This ain't going to look so good."

Both Hiccup and Astrid looked back at each other, with their faces now showing signs of sympathy for the lad. Telling the truth to him would be tough, but hiding it from him would most likely just make him more worried.

Hiccup turned his head to the lad. He shook his head.

"They didn't make it… None of them survived. I'm sorry."

There was a long pause. The long blonde-headed lad let out a deep sigh, covering his face with his palm before letting out another groan. This time, it sounded stressing.

Toothless warbled, gazing at Hiccup to which he responded with a shrug. "I don't know, bud," he said.

The young man slightly shivered. "I can't believe it. I have failed them- all of them… this whole voyage was a failure. They're probably in Helheim by now- after all, they did not die in battle."

Hiccup rose both his brows in pity for him. He slowly approached him and sat next to him on the bed, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"

"Arn," he spoke, gazing back at Hiccup with his sky-blue eyes. "My name is Arn."

"Well Arn," replied Hiccup, lightly patting his shoulder. "I can tell you for certain that you did not fail them. Our elder herself has actually confirmed to us that they've made it to Valhalla."

Astrid gave an assuring nod. "Even now they are fighting and feasting, probably telling stories about you. But hey, what do I know?"

"As for you though," she continued, "You still need to be healed up. You're too weak right now to-"

"One bruise is not going to stop me. I can still stand," Arn said as he surprisingly shifted and scooted himself out of bed, slowly standing to both his feet until he was straightened out.

"Huh," shrugged Fishlegs. "That was unexpected."

He stretched his arms out, now looking back at the others. "...Now that I have given you my name, who are you if I may ask?"

"Oh, how rude of us," chuckled Hiccup. "My name is Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Heir to the throne of Berk. And this odd but amazing dark dragon right here is Toothless. He is my best friend."

Toothless gave a nod with his head, to which Arn took it as, _"Nice to meet you."_

"My name is Astrid Hofferson. Most know me for being Hiccup's girlfriend."

"Fishlegs Ingerman, at your service!"

"Name's Ruffnut, and this is Tuffnut. But you can just call us Ruff and Tuff."

"Well, it's nice to meet you all," said Arn, now smiling. "I guess this place isn't so bad after. I think I'll have a good time getting to know you all…"

"By the way, where's my weapon and armor?"

…

* * *

"And so when I found you, I decided to take you to my hut. It's good that you're well now though," Hiccup said to Arn.

"Thank you, Hiccup..."

There was not much that Hiccup expected from their new friend. All the while Arn had followed him and the others towards the great hall, he couldn't help but notice him admiring Toothless who strolled along. It was clear that he was a dragon lover like many on Berk.

He looked back at Arn, giving off delighted smirk. "I see you are starting to like Toothless. Quite quick if you ask me."

"Dragons are no strangers to me. I've lived with them all my life along with my tribe, and I've grown to admire them more than anything. Still, I'm glad that I managed to reach a civilization that tolerates dragons."

"Eh, Berk has seen it's better days," nodded Astrid. She was right after all. "Nowadays we deal with disputes, division, and raids, and it hasn't been getting any better at all."

"Raids?" asked Arn, looking at Astrid and then Hiccup with a concerned gaze. "That sounds quite unfortunate. Still, I hope things get better for you soon."

"Mmm, I do hope so too," Hiccup replied, letting out a deep sigh. "Anyways, I hope you have an empty stomach, because we're close to the great hall."

Their eyes fell towards the great stone stairs leading up to the hall, and once again Arn could not help but admire the view; admiring the great hall carved and built within the mountain. "Wow... Reminds me of home," he said happily.

Silently they made their way up to the hall, taking their time going up the stairs until they reached the large wooden double doors leading inside. Upon walking in, Arn's eyes widened with amazement.

"Definitely reminds me of home," he repeated as he heartily chuckled in astonishment.

After taking a quick glance around the hall, they all proceeded to sit at a table where they were served their breakfast, with the Twins and Fishlegs sitting across from Hiccup, Astrid and Arn - along with Toothless who stood near his rider.

Usually Hiccup would be the one to start off the conversation, but he was still more interested in getting to know his new friend.

He sat silently at first before starting off with, "So… what exactly brings you to these parts? I don't know if I'm right, but you don't look like you're from the Archipelago."

"I'm not," Arn nodded in response to him. "I actually come from an island beyond the borders of the Archipelago. It's... a little bit to the northern side, but it's nothing really… special."

"As for why I'm here," he continued. "I was making a voyage with my crew to another island south of where I reside - somewhere here in the Archipelago, and that's when my ship was hit by the storm which sent us many miles off course."

"I see… and what island were you sailing for if I may ask?"

Arn shook his head at Hiccup in denial. "Unfortunately that's too private. I agreed with my tribe to keep the voyage a secret for safety reasons."

"You can trust us," replied Fishlegs as he took a bite from his food. "We don't break promises easily."

"But I've barely known you guys for even a day. I'm sorry, but I just can't."

"All right," sighed Hiccup as he spun his spoon around in his stew, playing around with it. "I guess it's best we just talk about something else then-"

"How 'bout Snotlout?" spoke up Tuffnut as he stood from his seat. "We can talk about him!"

Everyone aside from Arn groaned in disgust. Snotlout - out of all the people that Tuffnut had to bring up it just had to be him.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Oh brother."

While everyone was grumbling on about him, Arn on the other hand did not understand the situation. Who was this Snotlout person that they were even speaking of?

"Snotlout?" he questioned as he took a sip from his mug of milk. "Who is he?"

"Snotlout Jorgenson. He is one of the most hated people on the island. Some who's also our age," answered Astrid as she leaned her elbows on the table with her hands crossed. "Berk is dividing because of him, and it's only gotten worse recently. He's no longer going to give us any military aid against the raiders."

"He and Clan Jorgenson are a liability, yet they make up half of Berk's population."

"It's not like he really gave us any aid," Ruffnut pointed out, to which Astrid and the others nodded in agreement. "That yak-dung muttonhead probably can't run a village, especially when you're in charge of… well y'know."

"He's done many terrible things before this as well," added on Fishlegs, being the smart one he was. "He threatened to throw nearly half of the dragons off the island, he built an outpost without the chief's consent, and the list just goes on."

"...But our chief Stoick does not want to fight him. It would to a civil war that could doom us."

It was ridiculous. Arn found it so baffling that one young viking their age could do such things to them, and yet get away with it. Then again, he could see why their chief would not want a civil war over the island. It would just lead to ruin.

"Is there anything you guys can do?" he asked.

"Our only solution is to back off until something can be done about Snotlout without involving a genocide," said Hiccup. "But if one of us or even one of them does something stupid, civil war may be inevitable."

"...You know you could always try approaching it in a different way. Something unusual."

"Like what?" Astrid asked Arn. "All of our attempts thus far have nearly led to disaster."

"But have you considered allowing me to take action? I may not be familiar with this Snotlout and his _Clan_ Jorgenson, but I have dealt with negotiations before both through words, and fists."

Hiccup started getting curious as he continued to hear out Arn. He rose a brow. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I could get Snotlout to meet me fist to fist rather than with you and the Berkian Tribe," he said, almost with a smirk. "Remember that I'm not part of your tribe, so if I make a move against him, it will be me he will need to deal with, and not you."

Hiccup shook his head in disagreement. "It's too dangerous. You're still risking your life. Plus, what if he comes to the assumption that we're allies? We are after all giving you food and as well as our-"

Arn merely chuckled at what Hiccup said. From the way he spoke, he already had a plan up his sleeve. "Don't worry. Even if he suspects something, he won't get far…"

"And are you sure you know what you are doing?" questioned Hiccup hestiantly.

...

* * *

He was furious; beyond being pissy. Snotlout slammed his fist against the arm of his throne as he eyed the holes blown in the roof of his great hall. He couldn't believe it.

He had slept in late that morning, and he had just woken up to discover the damage that was done to his village, especially to his hall.

"INCONCEIVABLE!" he roared, now on his feet as he tantrumed like a young toddler. "Thor himself dared to strike MY village with all his wrath?! What have we done to deserve this!?"

He turned his gaze down towards the three figures of Dogsbreath, Agatha, and Wartihog that stood before him, all of whom gave nervous looks on their faces. To many, Snotlout was one thing, but an angry Snotlout to those in his clan and house was a whole nother thing.

Agatha stepped forward as she attempted to remain calm. "Snotlout dear, this could not have been the worst we've had. I'm sure we can fix this all up in time-"

"This damage will cost us thousands, Agatha! And we do not have that amount!"

And as a matter of fact, he was right. Unlike the Berkian Tribe, Clan Jorgenson did not have the gold needed to make major repairs, or even trade with merchants.

Because of this, it now left him in a desperate decision. What could he do?

"Snotlout," spoke Dogsbreath as he too stepped forward. "If I may... Perhaps I can share an idea that I have of how we can pay for these repairs."

The Jorgenson arched a brow. Dogsbreath saw in his eyes that he was not interested, but he was certain his idea could work for Snotlout.

He gave a motion with his hand to Dogsbreath. "Go on then."

"...As you know, we will be expecting for Stoick and his tribe to hand over three or more dragons tomorrow as you planned," he began, with his tone filling with excitement. "But what if instead of using them for as you wanted, we could sell them for gold? I'm sure there's still a few dragon auctioneers out there in the Archipelago."

"Dragon auctions?" asked Wartihog as he splurted in laughter. "Please! The hunters and their auctions were dismantled a while ago. Why should we give up the dragons? They are worth more than-"

"Be quiet, Wartihog," interrupted Snotlout. "...I may have something to say about this."

What then followed was a moment of silence as Snotlout stepped down from the throne, making his way closer to the group with a serious look on his face... until a wicked grin formed, stretching from cheek to cheek.

He saw the brilliance in Dogsbreath's plan as he started to pace back and forth.

Agatha smirked in amusement. "This probably could work, Snotlout. Imagine how much we could make off the auctions. Hundreds, if not thousands of pounds of gold. We could rival with the Berkian Tribe and maybe even trade with outside powers."

There was another pause. Snotlout looked at the three vikings, and began to lightly chuckle.

"This… This will become the Berkian Tribe's funeral pyre, and our rise to true power! The gods will soon see who the true victor over this island is!"

"I tell you this now, my friends. Berk will soon be ours!"


	8. An Unusual Duel

"...Do those two even know how to fight?" questioned Arn, crossing his arms in disappointment. "Their posture is horrible."

Hiccup, Fishlegs and Arn stood together in the arena with their dragons, all watching the Twins attempt to take on Astrid in a practice duel in the center, yet it seemed like Astrid was easily winning.

Her attacks were not only quicker, but they were well timed. She countered their attacks without problem and was able to eventually get both Ruffnut and Tuffnut flat on their backs.

She pointed her axe down at them. "Yield," she spoke in a commanding voice.

The Twins looked at each other and groaned, irritated in their defeat.

Ruffnut stood to her feet, dropping her sword in front of Astrid's feet. "Fine! You win, Astrid! But don't expect mercy from me next time. I will ram you like a raging boar mixed with a wolf and then I'll-"

"Okay, I get it," she sighed softly. "But maybe if you trained a bit more you'd be able to defeat me."

Arn arched a brow, looking back at Hiccup while leaning against the stone wall. "Are you guys not able to beat her either?"

Fishlegs shook his head. "Hiccup's beaten her a couple of times, but she's won more," he stated as he observed the victorious shieldmaiden. "Plus, the Twins are quite inefficient when it comes to hand to hand combat."

"Don't forget Astrid has also had more experience as a warrior," Hiccup pointed out, grinning at the sight of her. "If anything, I'd make her the general of Berk in a heartbeat… until I'm chief that is."

"Hm… maybe I could try and fight her?"

Both their eyes widened. Hiccup and Fishlegs looked at Arn with an expression that told him that his attempt would most definitely be ridiculous, and they merely began to laugh.

"Guys! I'm not joking…"

Toothless who stood nearby rolled his eyes in a dragonly manner, letting out a warble as if he said, _"What's so funny about that?"_

"I don't know. It's even not funny at all," shrugged Arn.

Toothless stood still for a moment, almost frozen whilst Hiccup and Fishlegs quickly ceased their laughter and stared at Arn with confusion. Why did he just say that?

The dragons looked at each other, giving questioning croons and warbles.

To Toothless, he could have just sworn Arn had replied to exactly what he said, and to Hiccup and Fishlegs, they wondered who he was talking to, to which Hiccup replied, "Who were you talking to?"

Arn raised his shoulders in an uncomfortable manner. He was a little embarrassed. "Oh, uh- I was just talking to myself. I have a habit of doing that sometimes."

"If you say so," said Fishlegs. "So, are you going to challenge her or-"

"Is there anyone else that wants to duel me?"

Astrid came forward towards the three vikings with a smirk on her face, leaning her axe over her shoulder. "That was my one hundreth and sixty fourth victory so far."

They rose their brows in amusement. Astrid kept track of her victories? To Hiccup, it was a little bit surprising.

Both he and Fishlegs looked back Arn, slyly smirking as they motioned with their hands towards Astrid who waited eagerly for another challenge. "I think Arn said he wanted to duel," chuckled Fishlegs.

The blonde-headed viking sighed, shaking his head. He then leaned away from the wall as he grabbed ahold of his blade and unsheathed it before tossing his sheath aside in front of Hiccup and Fishlegs.

Compared to Astrid's axe, Arn's sword was quite unusual. The blade was slightly wider than most others, yet it had a sharp point. It also had runes carved into it from top to bottom, as was with many weapons and their blades.

The base and hilt however was of curious design, especially since it looked like it was made of silver. The cross guard looked like two dragon wings spreading outwards, and in between them was a blue gem. Perhaps a sapphire?

Astrid did not know what to make of the blade. She watched as Arn paced into position, spinning his sword in circles to adjust his grip.

"Are you sure it won't break?" she asked him with a curious tone. "We Berkians after all do tend to make strong weapons around here."

Arn gave a sly grin. He definitely had something up his sleeve. "Oh it won't break. I promise you."

"All right. I'll try not to go too easy on you then," replied Astrid, to which Arn replied, "Neither will I."

The two vikings then positioned themselves in combat-ready stances. Arn rose his blade up near his right shoulder, gripping the hilt with both hands as he pointed the sword towards his opponent.

Astrid held her axe out in front of her, with her hands tightly holding on as both she and Arn began to pace in circles across from each other.

They were ready.

Arn gave a nod. "Your move, Astrid," he scoffed, still smirking.

Without another word, Astrid stormed at Arn with her weapon raised all while Hiccup, Fishlegs and the Twins watched with their jaws dropped. What was going to happen?

The moment Astrid clashed with Arn, she attempted to bring her axe down on him and expected him to block. Instead, the lad quickly spun out of the way and dodged to the side, and with the flat part of his blade he roughly bashed it against Astrid's back, nearly knocking her forward on her stomach.

She grunted as she was forced forward. Looking back, she saw Arn spinning his sword in a mocking manner while still smirking. He crossed his arms.

"Want to try that again?" he said as he chuckled in a hearty manner.

Astrid's brows lowered with focus and anger. She spun back to face him and again tried to strike him, bringing her axe around in a whirlwind, expecting him to either block or dodge so that she could knock him down, but once again she underestimated him.

Arn responded with a firm attack to Astrid's axe which was enough to send her back from the force it gave. For a moment she felt herself go unbalanced, and that's when Arn struck.

He leaped forward at her, bringing his sword down from his right shoulder, and it was just in time that Astrid was able to block his weapon - but that was just the start of his assault.

Their weapons intertwined into a weapon lock, and the two blonde vikings pressed their weapons hard against one another.

Astrid gritted her teeth, staring back at him with surprised eyes. "Where did you even learn to fight like that?"

Arn lightly chuckled. "I've been practicing ever since I was a boy, not to mention all the battles I've fought over the years!"

"Well, you know what they say," said Astrid as a clever grin formed at the corner of her mouth. "Expect the unexpected!"

"Huh?"

Astrid suddenly broke the weapon-lock, and with a strong and quick sweep she swung her leg at Arn's ankles, knocking him to the ground and onto his back.

"Yield!"

For a moment Astrid grinned as he laid there, believing she had won, but Arn replied with, "You're right! Expect the unexpected!"

In that moment he pulled Astrid's own trick against her. In a quick move he rolled to his left and swiftly sat up, swinging his sword up at her which caused her to jump back and dodge. At the same time, this gave him more ground.

Arn immediately stood to his feet and wasted no time to rush at Astrid, and this time he did not hesitate to strike with a full on assault.

He struck quickly and roughly, making horizontal, diagonal, and vertical attacks; left and right, and up and down. With every slice and dice he made, Astrid found it more difficult to block. She tried to strike back at him, but he was blocking her attacks as well.

For a time the two continued going back and forth, attacking and blocking each other's moves.

One moment would pass where Arn would be the one backing up from her rough and heavy attacks, and then another would pass where it would be Astrid who was stepping back from his overwhelming assault.

All in all - it seemed even, especially to Hiccup who was lost in the moment. To him, the two blonde-headed vikings, Arn and Astrid, were almost like the same exact person - staring back at each other in a mirror as they continued their duel, and for a time it almost seemed like an everlasting fight...

Until Astrid felt her feet backing up one too many steps back, and soon she felt herself pressed back against the stone wall, and saw Arn's blade raised near her neck.

The long blonde-haired lad smirked. It was a clear victory. "Yield."

There was no way out of it. She groaned in irritation as she said, "Fine. You win this one."

Immediately Arn backed up from her, spinning his sword as he saluted her in respect. "Good duel, viking."

What followed was a short pause of silence, and then loud cheers erupted from both the Twins as they clapped for Arn whilst Hiccup and Fishlegs stood there with dumb yet surprised grins on their faces.

"Huh, I guess he really did win."

Hiccup nodded in agreement. "Well- that was unexpecting if you ask me."

Despite the applause the Twins gave though, Hiccup could see that Astrid did not have a pleased look on her face. She was not at all satisfied with the outcome.

However, it was not a look of anger, but of disappointment.

...

* * *

"So you've made a new friend today, Hiccup?"

"Hm?"

The voice of his father Stoick quickly brought Hiccup back to his attention as he looked back at his father with a nod. "I think Arn and I are going to be great friends."

The young viking sat with his parents at their table, enjoying their dinner meal - aside from Toothless who slept upstairs in Hiccup's room.

Valka smiled with delight. "It's good to see that you're getting along with him. He seems like a nice young man… but where exactly is he sleeping?"

"Arn said he'd be sleeping in the great hall tonight. I offered him to sleep with Toothless and I but he declined. I guess he's still adjusting."

"Eh, he'll get around to it eventually," said Stoick who munched like a wolf on his legged mutton of chicken. "Still, I have to agree with Valka. It's good you two are becoming friends, and quite quick as a matter of fact."

Hiccup sighed as he lightly shrugged. "I wish I could say the same for Astrid. Right now she isn't pleased with what happened today."

"Why? What _exactly_ happened today?" asked Stoick.

"Arn defeated her in a duel."

The large chieftain nearly choked on his mug of mead in laughter while sipping from it, thinking it was a joke. He gagged for a moment and began laughing so loudly that anyone who passed by his hut could most likely hear him. He howled like a wolf.

After a minute or so then passed and he was done laughing, but Hiccup was not amused. When Stoick looked down at his son, his grin of laughter disappeared.

"You're serious?"

Hiccup gave a firm nod. "She wasn't angry at him, but she was definitely disappointed. Dad, you well know Astrid's barely lost a fight."

"Well I am sure she will get over it," Valka assured him. "You and your friends may have not known Arn for a day, but remember that you are all still adjusting to him being among us, just like how he is still adjusting to Berk. Patience is key to making friends."

"She has a point," said Stoick, all whilst he was smiling at Valka. "After all, your mother and I didn't immediately fall in love at first sight, nor became friends at first sight. But eventually, we settled and became what we are now."

"As my grandfather once said; _time is neither wheel nor arrow. _You cannot make your wishes happen like that- whether it's as fast as an arrow shot from a bow or as swift as a wheel rolling a cart offwards to who knows where."

"Hm… I guess you are right," nodded Hiccup in an attentive manner before he suddenly let out a yawn. "Well, if you guys don't mind, I am off to bed. We have a long day tomorrow, and I feel tired.."

Without another word Hiccup stood from his seat and went for the stairs, with his parents grinning and saying "Good night," as he tiredly made his way up to his room.

As soon as he was out of sight, the grin on Stoick's face vanished as he let out a stressful sigh which Valka soon noticed. His expression was dreadful.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Valka," he began. "You know well what must be done with Dogsbreath and the dragons tomorrow cannot be avoided…"


	9. Refusal

They were up just like _that_. The sound of loud shouting outside of the hut had woken Hiccup and Toothless up faster than they were probably ever woken up before. What was going on?

Hiccup sat up, looking at his dragon who responded with a nod that told him that they should go see what was going on.

"Can't hurt to see what it is. Let's get moving!"

Immediately Hiccup was up and out of bed - his mind not thinking about breakfast. Both him and Toothless bolted for the door, rushing down the stairs and storming for the exit.

Upon taking his first few swift steps out of the hut, Hiccup noticed at the bottom of the hill near the plaza that a large crowd of at least a hundred people were gathered, along with Stoick, Valka, Eret, Gobber, Astrid, and the riders as well as their dragons who seemed to be growling.

However, what caught Hiccup's eyes the most were three large cages that laid next to Stoick. In them were the three winged figures of a Nadder, Gronckle, and Zippleback dragon. Hiccup could tell for certain they were afraid.

What was going on? Was he forgetting about something that was happening today?

Then it soon hit him. He had nearly forgotten about the demand that had been presented to them, and even now he could see the distant shapes of Dogsbreath, Agatha, Wartihog, and twelve other warriors of Clan Jorgenson on horseback ride from the path leading to and from the town's gate.

They hastily approached Stoick, stopping before the chieftain of the Berkian Tribe with wicked grins on their faces - especially Dogsbreath who was pleased with the outcome.

He chuckled in an amused but dark manner. "You have done well, chieftain. You have delivered our prize before us just in time, and now we will give them to Snotlout as promised."

"And that also means you will not go to war against us and be peaceful with us?"

Dogsbreath sat silent on his horse for a moment. He thought for a moment about what Stoick had just said and began to crack up hard, so hard that a few tears of laughter came out of his eyes.

Even the men behind him were laughing along.

"Peace?!" he asked, still recovering from his hysterical laughter. "Ah Stoick, Snotlout was right when he said you drank too much. He never said that he was going to make peace, only that he would not declare war against you."

Astrid stepped forward, tightening her knuckles into fists. "That's ridiculous! It makes no sense! Why make us bother with this demand if all you have done is lie to us?"

"Lie? Hah, you Berkians truly are pathetic. Can't think properly, hm?" mocked Agatha, once again taunting Astrid.

"There's a difference between thinking and being pathetic like you are with your looks to Snotlout while you kiss his boots."

Now it seemed Agatha's scoff backfired on her. The crowd gathered around them let out an "ooh" as the wicked shieldmaiden was mocked, and now she was angry...

But she did her best not to show it. Instead she sat there on her horse, remaining silent.

"...If I ever meet her in battle, I will not hesitate to go for her head." she silently said to herself, under her breath.

In the midst of the heated conversation, Valka stepped in between the Jorgenson warriors and Berkian crowd. "Listen here Dogsbreath, we understand what you and your leader Snotlout want from us, but we're fearful for what you might start if you-"

"It is not our concern for what you are fearful of," Dogsbreath interrupted, crossing his arms. "Snotlout will have his payment from you, and we will deliver it. Now give them up!"

"Stop!"

Everyone's heads turned to the top of the hill towards Stoick's hut where they saw Hiccup and Toothless running down towards them with swift pace, and upon reaching them the two rushed in front of the caged dragons, blocking Dogsbreath and the others from them.

The muscular viking rose his brows. "Well well well! If it isn't our scrawny friend Useless! Have you come to witness us tolling these dragons back to-"

"I come in defense of these dragons," Hiccup said, stepping forward closer to Dogsbreath in aggression. "I won't let you turn them into Snotlout's slaves just like how Hookfang is. You are not taking them."

"Is that a threat, Useless?" spoke Wartihog with a snarl. "We told you what would happen if you refused our demand!"

"We're not your toys to play with. Especially for you Wartihog, you fat useless lob," Eret replied from behind, to which the large viking showed a grim look on his face out of anger.

Hiccup turned to his father with plea. "Dad, I beg you. You have to do something. You can't just let them take those dragons away."

"Your father can't help you, Useless," Dogsbreath laughed, looking at Hiccup with a wicked smile. "You want to keep your dragons? You may go ahead and do that and risk a war. Or you may give them to us and-"

"And what?" interrupted Hiccup. His look showed Dogsbreath that he was ready to shout in his face. "I know that even if we give them to you, you would never in a hundred years make peace with us! You and Snotlout will continue going about the island doing as you please, and you will make sure that there will be nothing we can do about it."

"And what exactly can you do about it that _they_ _can't_ do?"

Everyone went silent. The moment that voice spoke, Hiccup swiftly turned his back around and saw the familiar blonde-headed figure of Arn standing behind him next to the riders, wearing his armor along with his sheathed sword around his waist.

"How long were you standing there?" asked Hiccup.

Arn shook his head. "Doesn't matter. What matters is what exactly is going on here. Why didn't you tell me about this, Hiccup?"

"Who do you think you are to get into our conversation, blondie?" spoke Dogsbreath, catching Arn's attention with a displeased look. "As a matter of fact, who even are you?"

"My name is Arn, and that is all you need to know," he answered with a straight reply. "The real question is though, who do you think _y_ou are? Forcing them into giving you dragons just to prevent a war over Berk? You have to be serious you stupid dog!"

Wartihog who was next to Dogsbreath rode his horse forward a few paces. His hand was on the hilt of his sheathed weapon. "How dare you threaten the right hand of Snotlout Jorgenson!"

Arn lightly chuckled in amusement to the large viking's response to him. "You must be uneducated to know what a threat is," he said as he then turned to Astrid. "Astrid, the next time this fatty speaks, kill him."

Everyone went silent in confusion and intimidation at first, but Astrid smirked as Arn continued with, "Do you see the difference now? THAT is a threat. And as for these dragons, I will not be letting you take them."

"You do that, and we will declare war on your tribe as we promised!" threatened Dogsbreath, to which Arn once again laughed. The muscular viking however rose a brow in confusion.

"The Berkian Tribe - my tribe?" he asked. "I am not part of their tribe you fool! I stand with Hiccup and Stoick as an ally, but if you dare to declare yourselves hostile to them, then I assure you that my tribe will get involved in this."

"And to this, there is only one thing left to do."

It was then that Arn swiftly unsheathed his sword as he turned around to face the caged dragons, and without any other thoughts he approached the iron cages, raising his blade up and striking at the lock of one cage, and then the next one, and then finally the last one until all three cages were broken of their locks.

"Go," said Arn as he lifted the cells of the cages opened. "You are free."

The dragons gave grateful looks on their faces to the young viking. They were freed from what would have possible meant their doom and enslavement. And to that, they quickly dashed out of their cages and flew off.

With that set and done, Arn turned back to Dogsbreath who sat on his horse and was now as pissed as an angered boar, and Arn said while pointing his sword at him, "Go back to your leader, and tell him that Arn of the Alsworn Tribe will not tolerate dragon slavery from you."

Dogsbreath grunted as he tightly took ahold of his horse's reins. Before riding off, he boasted to them, "Snotlout will punish you for this!"

...

* * *

"Well, things are gonna get hot," said Tuffnut as he shook his head.

Ruffnut added on with, "Very hot."

Hiccup sighed. "What you did today was right, Arn. I am glad you freed those dragons. But I am fearful for what may come next," he said, all while pacing back and forth on the stone floor of the great hall. "If Snotlout makes his promise of declaring war, Berk itself will be torn apart."

Arn shook his head, looking back at the riders that stood around him. "From how I now see it, you have underestimated your enemy too much. Even if they go hostile, what has been stopping you from acting out against them?"

"It's from all of the insane threats they've threatened us with, Arn. And we may have just sparked the fire for a war..."

Arn looked back at Astrid who spoke frustratingly, shaking his head. Clearly he disagreed.

"You've got it all wrong, Astrid. I assure you, none of us sparked a fire. Don't you understand that Snotlout himself would have sparked it anyways? One way or another, that arrogant Jorgenson could have made the declaration for war a long time ago - anytime when he wanted to, and you allowed him to make his threats rather than retaliate with your own. You've only shown Snotlout your weakness time and again."

"And now look at where you stand..."

The way he spoke was almost mocking. At first Hiccup and the riders were about to deny Arn's claim towards them, give him further reasons on why they are where they are, but then something sparked upon them at the top of their heads that surprisingly even the Twins thought about despite their low intelligence.

And then it came to them... Arn was right. They have shown themselves to be weak.

For a long time, all they had done was sit around and allowed Snotlout to make his threats and demands while the whole island was dividing; first with land, resources, and now dragons.

Because Hiccup and his tribe did not retaliate in the beginning, this gave Snotlout the momentum and advantage to continue demanding much from them which in turn showed how weak they were to him, and once more allowed Snotlout to keep up with his threats.

And now, they showed the Jorgenson that they were more vulnerable than ever.

Hiccup stood in place, looking back at Arn with an almost mind-blown look. "But what are we supposed to do? We are not known for making threats, especially against Snotlout. War is not our-"

"War cannot be avoided, Hiccup," stated Arn, crossing his arms as he began to pace back and forth. "As much as how you don't want it, it will happen time and again."

"And besides, how many months exactly have these raiders you spoke of before been raiding you? Seven? Eight? Nine? If anything, you're already warring with them."

"But this isn't what we're talking about," responded Fishlegs, abruptly joining in on the conversation. "We're talking about Snotlout right now, yet you bring up the raiders now? How is that supposed to help?"

"Have you considered how long you've stood against them?" asked Arn, now grabbing everyone's full attention. The looks on their faces changed from frustration to more of questioning and curious expressions.

"What are you trying to get at here?"

Arn spun his head back towards Hiccup. "I'm saying that despite all that these raiders have thrown at you so far, you and your dragons still stand - and that is because you have something they don't have, though I can't be certain for what it is."

"If it goes for the raiders, then it surely goes for Snotlout and Clan Jorgenson. You can beat them."

Hiccup let out a sigh. He shook his head as his eyes narrowed down and then back up at Arn, and he asked the blonde-headed viking, "What are we going to do about it?"

"That's a question that you should answer yourself, heir of Berk. What are _you_ going to do about it?"

…

* * *

"NO!"

Snotlout stormed towards a table near his throne, grabbing it firmly with both his hands and flipping it over out of anger. Despite the effort, he was unable to secure the three dragons as demanded.

Along with that, Snotlout would be unable to make the money needed to repair his village.

He turned around, glaring back at Dogsbreath, Wartihog, Agatha, and the warriors that accompanied them who were gathered before him in the great hall.

"Out of all the demands, threats, and bluffs I have ever made, the Berkian Tribe finally has the audacity to deny one of them!? And you did nothing about it?"

"We couldn't make them fall for the bluff, Snotlout," answered Agatha, speaking with truth in her words. "It wasn't even Hiccup or Stoick who freed the dragons that they promised. Someone else defended them. Someone who goes by the name of Arn."

"Arn? Who exactly is this Arn?!"

Dogsbreath shrugged unknowingly. "We don't know. All we do know is that he is part of some tribe called the Alsworn Tribe," he added on. "But I've never heard of that tribe before. Their name does not sound native to the Archipelago."

"Maybe it's a tribe from Scalmodan or Lardalor?" Wartihog said suggestively. "The vikings there do tend to be more different than us, and more war-like."

Snotlout shook his head. Clearly he did not care now about what they said. "That's out of my concern now. What matters is that you find this Arn, and you get rid of him."

"Get rid of him, sir? But won't Hiccup and the Berkians try and defend him if they are allied with him?" one of the guards behind Dogsbreath asked.

"Yes, in which you will deal with them as well if they get in your way. Whatever it takes, even if you have to sneak into the Berkian village, find him, and kill him."

"...And if you can, assassinate Hiccup as well."


	10. How To Speak Dragonese

**Before beginning, I'd like to say that judging by the title of this chapter, many of you will probably already know what it will be based around. Unexpected? Probably so!**

**Now, with that out of the way - let's dive right back into our story!**

* * *

"Just remember, everyone!" bellowed Stoick with his announcement. "Clan Jorgenson is from this point on a potential enemy. If they strike, do not hesitate to strike back! Do you understand?"

"AYE SIR!" yelled the warriors that stood before Stoick.

The large chieftain gave them a nod. "Excellent! You are all dismissed!"

It was near the stairs of the great hall that Stoick made a speech in front of hundreds of warriors that afternoon. By now, the whole town was preparing for what they felt like was an inevitable conflict with Snotlout.

Many viking warriors had been mustered, as well as dozens and dozens of dragon riders - ready to defend the town from anything that Clan Jorgenson could send at them.

To others such as Hiccup, Valka and the riders however, they viewed the preparations as a bit too overwhelming.

From Gobber's workshop and forge, they were able to see the whole thing go down in the distance, though they were unable to get a closer look due to the size of the great talkative crowd that stood before Stoick.

But it wasn't until the crowd dispersed that Hiccup began to speak with his mother and the others.

He looked at them with an uncertain look. "I feel like he's desperate to have Snotlout taken care of already. But does he really need to prepare an army?"

"Stoick was always one to believe that much of what he did was best for us," Valka commented, gazing at the large viking who spoke with Eret and Gobber in the distance. "But sometimes he can get carried away."

"He's expecting for Snotlout to attack us, but we don't know what the punishment that Dogsbreath mentioned before he rode off even is. We don't even know if it is an attack."

"Expect the unexpected, Fishlegs," replied Astrid who was squinting her eyes at Stoick, focusing. "We don't know what will happen from here on out with Snotlout."

"Snotlout is just a puppet playing with games he does not understand," Arn commented, crossing his arms as he glanced back at Hiccup and Astrid. "If he truly is as arrogant like you say, then his arrogance will only take a toll for the worst on his men."

Hiccup rose a concerned brow, looking between Arn and Toothless who also showed curiosity on his scaly face. "What makes you say that, exactly?"

"My father once told me that a leader's choices will always affect his followers- depending on how he leads of course, and he proved to have been right. Over the years that I have helped lead my tribe as an heir, I have seen beforehand that my actions have changed my men for the better, and it is why we continue to fight on."

"A strong and smart leader will make strong and smart men. An arrogant and unwise child like Snotlout will make only brigands and thieves."

"Heh, I'd like to hear someone say that in front of Snotlout's face," laughed Tuffnut. He knew well that a single critique would boil Snotlout into a frenzy. "He'd do whatever it takes to make himself look like a perfect dude. Which reminds me of how mom and dad met."

"Oh dear," groaned Fishlegs. "Please don't tell us. We'd rather not-"

"Our parents bumped into each other and tried acting like normal perfect people," interrupted Ruffnut as she rambled on without warning. "Yeah. It was a hell of a night for them after that. What they did was-"

Hiccup immediately spoke up in an embarrassing tone. "Ruff, please save the details for another time… or for never."

"Please do," Arn nodded in agreement. "I don't want my appetite to be ruined. I'm starving because I haven't had breakfast this morning."

"Me neither," moaned Fishlegs, laying his hands on his stomach. "Plus, if Meatlug here doesn't get something soon she's going to-"

As he gestured towards the Gronckle, Meatlug immediately let out a loud and stinking dragon fart which made everyone quickly cover their noses. It was revolting.

Fishlegs then finished his sentence with, "That."

"Ugh," coughed Astrid. It wasn't the first time she had to deal with it. "Nothing that ruins my morning more than that…"

"Guys… it was an accident," sighed Fishlegs as he turned towards Meatlug, rubbing his arms against her. "Don't worry Meatlug, they're just grumpy this morning."

Meatlug warbled back at Fishlegs in a friendly gesture, as if she said, _"It's nothing to worry about. It is only just a-"_

"Well if it's nothing to worry about, then let's hope it stays that way. No offense given."

Like last time, Arn spoke out in random, almost as if he replied directly to what Meatlug said which shocked the Gronckle in surprise. She stood there, eye widened along with the rest of the dragons while Fishlegs and the others looked at him in confusion.

Meatlug looked back at Toothless who shook his head at her in a dragonly manner.

"_He did the same thing to me before. It's weird," _warbled Toothless, to which he then noticed out of the corner of his eye a wink come from Arn.

He was winking straight at him.

Now he felt like he had seen everything. Toothless understood that anything could happen in this world of theirs. It was flowing with magic. But a human talking with a dragon? That was impossible.

Hiccup took a few steps towards Arn. "Right, who were you talking to this time? Was it to yourself again?"

He felt embarrassed. Arn's eyes quickly gave away that there was something fishy and mysterious about the way he replied. Last time he spoke out of random it was when Toothless warbled something, like how all dragons do. And now, it was with Meatlug.

"...I think we should all go talk in private. I need to tell you something."

…

* * *

"Dragonese?"

All of their voices echoed through the great hall as they spoke up in unison, staring at Arn who sat across from them.

"Aye, dragonese," he nodded, crossing his fingers and hands as he laid them on the table. "Dragonese is… how I speak and commune with dragons. It's also how my tribe speaks with dragons, and how they have been for generations."

Hiccup rose his brows in shock. "Generations? You mean you guys have been speaking with them ever since you were around?"

"Not exactly from the very start… but yeah."

To this, the dragons that stood near their riders rolled their eyes, exhaled smoke from their nostrils, and overall showed baffled unbelievable looks on their faces. To them, Arn's moments of speaking randomly just had to have been a coincidence. There was no way humans could speak with dragons.

But then Barf and Belch started to loudly warble out random dragon-talk to which Arn arched one of his brows at.

"_Oh please, there is no way he can understand us!"_ gargled Barf who was glancing at Belch and the other dragons.

Belch let out a spark from his mouth, almost nodding his head in an agreeing dragonly manner. _"Tell me about it! This human thinks he can understand what we're saying?"_

As the two-headed dragon argued with itself, Cloudjumper looked back at them - giving off a light growl. _"Will you two be quiet? The louder you talk, the more I'm sure he'll be able to hear us."_

"Oh, but I can already hear what you guys are saying."

The dragons all jumped back startled as Hiccup, Astrid, Valka, Fishlegs, and the Twins all gazed at Arn in shock. Judging by the looks of their dragons, they knew he could understand them.

"_Did he just say what I thought he just said? Is he really talking to us?"_ asked Toothless, to which Arn nodded at him.

The young lad let out a chuckle. "Yup. I can assure you Toothless that you're not dreaming."

The dragons were all mind-blown. Barf and Belch however fainted out of shock to hearing the young lad talk to them. How was this possible? It was out of their question.

Hiccup smirked as an excited exhale of breath left his mouth. He was hooked and interested. "I can't believe it… you can actually TALK with them. It's… awesome."

"Like I said, I have been with dragons all my life," Arn added on. "And for the longest of times we have understood how to speak with dragons. Any dragon that is trained however I can just speak with the common tongue."

"And what about dragonese?" questioned Astrid.

"That's only for dragons that haven't been trained by a rider. The only reason your dragons can understand me is because they have been around you for a while now, thus they understand you and can also understand me."

"...It makes sense, actually," said Hiccup, looking back at Toothless who was conversing with Meatlug, Stormfly and Cloudjumper. "Toothless always responds to every simple command I give without mistake, including plasma blast."

"Same with Stormfly and I," replied Astrid, furtherly adding on to what Hiccup said. "Whenever I shout spine shot in battle, she will always launch a tail spike at an opponent without fail."

"_You've got that right," _squawked Stormfly.

Arn grinned at the Nadder's response. "Stormfly said, _you've got that right._ Looks like she does understand you."

"Wow," smiled Astrid, gazing towards her dragon in awe. So far the concept of dragonese on its own was just amazing.

Soon Valka and the riders began to talk to each other in interest with this new discovery. After all, who wouldn't be excited to learn that there was a language to communicate with dragons? To Hiccup especially, it was out of this world.

An idea then came to him. He looked back at Arn and asked, "Do you think you could translate for Toothless? I'd like to ask him a few questions."

"I mean sure, if that's fine by him. He is your dragon after all."

Toothless who stood nearby tilted his head to his rider and the blonde-headed viking, giving them a nod. They needed no further response.

"Right," Hiccup began excitedly. "First question… when would you like to go flying, bud?"

"_Mmm… maybe in an hour or so. After that I want something to eat…" _he spoke, though Hiccup heard only sounds come out of him.

Arn nodded his head before spinning to face back to Hiccup. "He said maybe in an hour or so. Afterwards, he wants to eat."

"Alright…" replied Hiccup, unable to get a smile off his face. "What do you want to eat, bud?"

"_Fish. Any kind of fish. And please try not to pick an eel "by accident" again."_

"He said he wants fish," Arn translated. "Any fish will do for him. But he also asks that you try not to _accidentally_ fish up an eel again."

Hiccup irritatingly sighed at the thought of it. "It's not my fault that they keep swimming for the net. I'm not a fisherman you know."

"Then use a fishing pole," suggested Arn, to which he then look back at Fishlegs who was busy conversing. "I am pretty sure Fishlegs can help you too. He is a fisherman after all."

"Hmm… alright," nodded Hiccup. "And now for my last question. Toothless, how do you feel about all of this? About Arn understanding you and… well, you know."

The Night Fury thought about it for a moment, narrowing his head down and around as he tried to find the words in his tongue to express his feelings.

After a bit of silence however, he then began to speak. Once again though, Hiccup only heard warbling and crooning from his dragon.

"_Probably… surprised,"_ the Night Fury responded with. _"I never thought in my lifetime that I would be able to hear a human speak, or even as a matter of fact be able to directly speak with you, Hiccup. It's…"_

"Shocking. I know the feeling, Toothless," answered Arn.

Hiccup rose a brow at the two, curious as to what his dragon said. "Well?"

Arn turned back to him. "He said that he is surprised about all of this - especially since now he is able to talk directly to you. It's something he never dreamed of being able to do…"

"But hey, you know I don't need to be your translator. I can always teach you to learn how to speak with him."

"Wait- Speak with my dragon? With Toothless?" questioned Hiccup. His expression widened as he started glancing between Arn and Toothless with a blown look. "You would actually take the time to teach me dragonese?"

Arn chuckled. "Of course. I'd be happy to teach a Berkian such as yourself how to speak dragonese."

"Great! ...When do we start?"

…

* * *

Dragonese as a language is quite complex to those starting out with it, as is with all languages like dwarven and elven. However, unlike other languages, dragonese was one of those that were quick to pick up on.

To many who start out with dragonese, the basic words they are given may sound ridiculous and funny to them as they sound like something a drunken patron would say, but those words were derived from old dragonese.

Such words include…

Da wingless, which is one meaning for humans.

Thankee, which means thank you.

Crappa Cack-Cack, which is the beginner's way to say poo.

And finally, one of the most funniest phrases to Hiccup: 'Doit a wummortime,' which means 'let's try that again.'

Despite the basic and funny sounding words however, dragonese would change overtime with most of its words to sound more like a serious language. The advanced words were more sophisticated-sounding, and new dragonese came to be.

Such examples of words were…

Dragal, which means dragon.

Pishyor, which derives from pishyou and means please.

Stuulox, stuulsurd, stuulhomar, which means steel axe, steel sword, and steel hammer.

Settol, which means saddle or leather saddle.

Mortel or mortil, which are the more advanced but common terms for human.

And even agren, which means hello.

And the list goes on…

Still, the language for Hiccup was quite intriguing. He was already picking up both basic and advanced words quite quickly, and he was enjoying it fairly well.

Both he and Arn sat in the middle of his room with Toothless lying in the corner on his heated sleeping rock. It was night time already, thus the Night Fury laid down to rest his eyes.

Hiccup sat in silence by his desk, all while Arn stood nearby and asked him questions that involved him having to translate words into dragonese.

The blonde-headed viking paced back and forth with his arms crossed, smirking. "Right Hiccup, here's the next one. How do you say… _My dragon is a Night Fury?_"

For a moment Hiccup thought about it. He allowed the words at the top of his head to come to him slowly but surely, and soon enough he replied with, _"Min dragal is en Night Furen."_

"Very good," he replied, complimenting Hiccup for his quick and accurate response. "And now for the next one, how do you say… _Do not bite at the leg, please?_"

Once again, Hiccup was short to respond with, _"Na yum-un ä dil leg, pishyor,"_ and Arn nodded in approval, impressed with his response.

"Excellent, Hiccup! You are learning quite fast. Faster than I could have ever learnt dragonese as a matter of fact. Keep it up, and you will be speaking with Toothless in no time."

His words made Hiccup grin with pride. It was an exciting thing to think about; talking with a dragon and being able to get along better with them. He couldn't wait.

But alas, he had to be patient.

With that, Arn grasped his hands together and lightly rubbed them. "I think we are done for today. Overall a great start, though you may need to work a bit on your pronunciation."

"Will do," nodded Hiccup. "Though for tonight, I'd like you to sleep here. There is a room for visitors and guests next door, so you can use that room for sleep and work."

Arn respectfully bowed his head to Hiccup. "I appreciate the offer, and I'll do what I can to make myself comfortable. After all, it's been a bit difficult adapting here."

"Well, at least you haven't had to deal with the raiders yet. Aside from Snotlout, they have been-"

Hiccup immediately stopped mid sentence in his words. Deep down he was thinking to himself, 'Oh Thor, why did I mention that?'

"The raiders, eh?" asked Arn. He had nearly forgotten about them. "...You haven't told me much aside that they've been raiding you for a while now."

"Yeah, but-"

"I think it's time you tell me what you are up against."

Arn pulled up a nearby chair, setting it a few feet in front of Hiccup as he sat down and leaned closer in with attention. He wanted to know what these raiders Berk was up against were. And he wanted to know now.

"Now then," he began. "Tell me all you know about these raiders... What do they look like? What are their intentions? Who even are they?"

There was a short pause before Hiccup began speaking. "I… I don't even know why they're here," he answered, sighing in a clueless manner. "All I know is that these raiders are brutes. Monsters. They enjoy coming here for the hunt and for the kill, but compared to us they are six- no, seven foot giants with large muscles."

It seemed that with that description alone, Arn was jaw dropped and seemed somewhat surprised, though Hiccup wondered why he was so shocked. Did he meet the raiders before?

"...Tell me more," Arn demanded.

"Well- they wear black plate armor from head to toe," he added on. "Sometimes though they don't even cover their heads, and that's the part where I can say that the raiders are not human."

"Not human?"

He nodded. "Yup, not human. Their skin is as dark and gray as the roughest rocks. They are hairless, lacking any kind of hair. Their jaws, broad and large. Their teeth, sharp and intimidating, just like their two tusks that grow with their lower teeth…"

"...But their eyes are what scare me the most. Their eyes glow green with some sort of evil; something that I have not felt for as long as I have stood on Midgard. I do not know if it's magic or if it's something else, but the raiders as a whole are-"

"Something I have fought before," interrupted Arn as his eyes narrowed down. "You are not the first one to encounter these raiders, Hiccup."

"W- What do you mean…?" asked Hiccup.

"...Hiccup," continued Arn, looking back at him with worry and horror in his eyes. "You told me that you have fought these raiders for months… but I have fought them for a longer time. And believe me when I tell you this; that you are in danger. Big danger."

"What? Are you saying-"

"Yes, Hiccup. I know who they are. Compared to Snotlout, they are something you SHOULD worry about. If I stand correct, then what you are actually facing are-"

Before he could manage to get the last word out of his mouth however, the hut suddenly shook from something loud and big outside. Something that hit them. And it was enough to wake Toothless up, causing for him to growl as it happened again.

_"I... smell... raiders..." _growled Toothless.

Soon, the horns of battle from outside began blowing, and out of instinct both Hiccup and Arn immediately stood to their feet and unsheathed their weapons.

"RAIDERS!" a voice cried out from outside the hut...


	11. Yet Another Raid

Hiccup, Arn and Toothless stormed their way out the front door of the hut, finding that the village was in utter chaos.

In the distance, they could see the far silhouettes of thirty raider longships - ten of which were grouped up and launching fiery boulders from their catapults while the other twenty had already reached the docks and cliffs.

As well as the town.

Though they had not yet hit the plaza, Hiccup could tell from the sounds of fighting and villagers running about that the raiders were spread throughout the village.

"Another raid..." he grunted. "When in the name of Odin will these raiders just stop!?"

"Most likely never. Not until we are all dead!" replied Arn, gazing down at the town which was now burning. "Do you perhaps have any ideas up your sleeves?"

"I think we should-"

As Hiccup was about to explain his plan, the two nearly didn't notice the sounds of large and quick footsteps coming up the hill towards them. Looking down near the bottom, they saw three raiders rushing at them, pushing aside and cutting down any villager who was trying to flee for the great hall.

And now _they_ were next in line.

"LOOK OUT!" bellowed Hiccup as he, Arn, and Toothless tried to brace for impact. Unprepared however, it seemed like they were about to be crushed.

Were it not for a certain viking and his dragon who came running to their rescue.

Out of nowhere, Stoick came rushing in with Skullcrusher. The large Rumblehorn with his mighty and strong hoof-like feet ran over two of the raiders - crushing the brutes to death while Stoick went one on one with the third raider.

He swayed his axe at his foe, making quick and rough attacks while the brute tried to strike back and parry, but Stoick would easily overwhelm him. With a single cleaving strike he lobbed his axe into the skull of the helmetless raider, killing him instantly.

As the muscular body of the large brute fell to the ground, he turned back to Hiccup and Arn who stood there a bit shakened while Toothless stood his ground.

"Are you lads alright?"

"Y- Yeah," nodded Hiccup. "We just didn't see it coming. They nearly got us…"

"Good," replied Stoick. "Now if you would, help us repel the attack. We need all the help we can get. They've brought six hundred this time."

"Six hundred?" asked Arn. "Pah! I'm sure we can take them."

"Don't be so over confident," said Hiccup in a serious tone. "We still need Astrid and the others to help take them on. We can't fight them if we're divided… though speaking of which, where are they?"

Stoick shrugged, unsure as he turned his head back towards the village. "I don't know… but why do I have a feeling they are in danger? ...Unless they're-"

"Unless they are held up in their huts holding the raiders off with their dragons, alone," Hiccup added on, now quickly marching down the hill with his weapon gripped tightly. "We have to save them! Arn, Toothless, are you with me?"

"I'm with you," nodded Arn.

Toothless let out an encouraging growl, which Hiccup assumed was, _"Always."_

"Good. Now let's get moving!"

The two vikings and the dragon were now quickly moving, making their way down the hill and towards the town center.

Stoick watched as they ran off, giving himself a nod of approval before turning his attention back to Skullcrusher. "Come on, boy. Let's rally with Valka and Gobber."

Meanwhile as Hiccup and Arn along with Toothless ran down into the plaza, the blonde-headed viking asked, "So where exactly are we going?"

"Astrid's hut. She lives here in the plaza," he quickly replied with. "Her help is necessary if we're to push back these raiders. She's the best warrior that we-"

"Hiccup!"

The voice of Astrid immediately caught Hiccup's ears. As they neared her hut, they saw both Astrid and Stormfly standing in front of the doorway of her home, making their stand against nine raiders that cornered them.

Aside from that, Hiccup also noticed three corpses of raiders lying dead at Astrid's feet. Clearly she was holding the forefront like a true viking, but now she was about to be overwhelmed.

One of them laughed wickedly. It was a captain. "Haha! You maggot! You thought you could stand against us?! You've made a mistake by fighting back! Are you ready to die?!"

"Grah!" screeched Astrid, swinging her axe threateningly. "I'm not afraid of you, monster! I'll drown you in the blood of your little army!"

"Good luck with that! We will slaughter you, little girl - as we have had with countless other lives! KILL HER, MAGGOTS!"

Hiccup, Arn, and Toothless began to run faster as the raiders were about to close in on her, and as soon as they were able to reach her, Toothless fired a plasma blast at point-blank range from behind two of the raiders, setting them aflame.

For a moment both raiders screamed in pain from the flames that enveloped them as they fell to the ground and rolled in an attempt to put themselves out, but Hiccup and Arn immediately responded by stabbing their weapons through their melting chest plates, finishing them off instantly.

They rushed to Astrid's side, making ready for the raiders to attack as they adjusted their footing and prepared for combat.

"You're late!" exclaimed Astrid angrily.

"Yeah, well we didn't see them coming!" replied Hiccup, swinging Inferno threateningly at the seven raiders. "Either way, at least we can take them on!"

The captain of the group gritted his teeth at the sight of Hiccup as he tightened the hold on his two-handed axe. "Two more vikings and another dragon! Tell me, who do you think you are?!"

Hiccup took an aggressive step forward. "My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, heir to the Berkian Tribe and Midgard's dragon master! I am here to kill every single one of you!"

"Kill us?!" the raiders captain laughed. "Fool! You think you can defeat us back so easily?! Each time we have come back to your island again and again, and each time we come in greater size! What hope do you have standing against-"

There was a pause. The captain looked at Arn and his eyes widened upon inspecting the warrior. The scale mail and leather armor. The blue colors. The grey furs around his shoulders…

Now the raider's anger increased tenfold.

"An Alsworn runt?!" he bellowed out. "I never knew your kind would find its way here! Tell me Odin-worshipper, how goes the fight back at home against us?!"

Arn lowered his brows, gripping both hands on his sword. "You should have never come here, _orc! _I sailed here and followed you south for a reason, and it's to find a way to stop you and your kind for good!"

Hiccup rose one of his brows. "An orc? What the Hel is an orc-"

"Stop us?!" the orc laughed. "Fool! Our forces are legion! You think a few Berkians with gaudy and dull weapons can defeat us?!" he asked, motioning his hand towards Hiccup's blade Inferno.

"I would think so! Come at me!" taunted Arn.

Hiccup reached a hand out. "Arn, wait-!"

It was too late. His anger was boiling. Arn immediately rushed forward at one of the captain's guards without warning, and as soon as he entered combat, both Hiccup and Astrid along with their dragons followed.

"Let's take them on!" shouted Astrid.

Hiccup rushed for the orc captain, Astrid went for the guard on the opposite flank from where Arn was, and Toothless and Stormfly went for the four other orcs, each of them taking two at a time.

Now separated, the group could focus on their own opponents.

Hiccup being the expert warrior he was struck swiftly and maneuvered himself much around the orc captain. Though the orc struck as hard as he could, the young viking was able to dodge and counter every attack the brute gave. The key to beating him was simple; the orc was bigger and stronger, so Hiccup had to be quicker and think smarter.

And then his moment came.

The large orc brought his great axe down in an attempt to cleave Hiccup in half, but the young viking with a swift and decisive parry to the brute's weapon was able to strike it to the side which in turn knocked the orc off balance.

His axe impaled itself into the ground, and the captain struggled as he was unable to pull it out in time as it was then that he felt something hot and sharp stab through the back of his neck.

Hiccup dove Inferno deep into the orc captain, and with that he was able to take down the monstrous brute.

He pulled his blade out and quickly backed up from the orc as he kicked his lifeless corpse to the ground. Ready to assist Astrid and Arn he turned around with his blade gripped, but found they needed no help.

Astrid being the great shieldmaiden she was struck hard and precisely at the orc she faced. Her axe, though smaller than the raider's sword, was enough to parry and block his weapon. Using her strength and skill she was able to get a few blows on the orc before finally cleaving her axe into side of his chest.

Her strike was as well so great that the orc's chest armor broke, and her axe found its way to his flesh as it lobbed into him. Unable to handle it, the brute fell to his knees and onto his front as Astrid pulled her weapon out.

That was another down.

Then there was Arn. The Alsworn viking who managed to stand his ground like Hiccup and Astrid attacked with fury and strength. Though he was not striking as swiftly as he usually would, he was definitely besting the orc.

The raider found himself unable to match the lad's speed though, and with three swift but mighty slashes and strikes at the orc's right hand, Arn managed to chop it apart.

But that did not stop him.

Though the orc was now unarmed, he roared loudly in Arn's face as his green eyes glowed fiercely and brightly. His left hand tightened into a fist as he was ready to throw a punch at the viking.

Seeing how the raider was distracted and blinded by his own anger however, Arn took his sword and swiftly plunged it deep through the orc's opened mouth which came out through the back of his head before he proceeded to quickly pull it out.

Although it was a bloody sight, the orc was taken care of as his lifeless body fell back. However, Arn was left a little bit tired from the fight.

Hiccup however was left impressed by how the three of them performed. He approached Arn and Astrid and asked them, "Are you guys alright?"

Astrid nodded back at him. "I'm fine. Just a small bruise."

"Same," replied Arn. "But I'm a bit breathless. It's been a short while since I've fought these brutes… though I will say that I am surprised you managed to easily take out that captain. I always have trouble with them."

"Yeah… though I wonder how Toothless and Stormfly are holding up-"

Hiccup's answer was instantly given. The sound of explosions from off to the side caught his attention as the four other orcs that Toothless and Stormfly fought were set aflame and blasted apart.

The three vikings for a moment flinched, but then stared back at the two victorious dragons who ran towards them, ready to move on.

Hiccup placed a hand on the Night Fury's head, petting him. "How are you doing, bud?" he asked.

Toothless huffed warm air from his nostrils, nodding his head. _"I am doing good,"_ he warbled in dragonese, which Hiccup surprisingly understood. After all, he was learning quite fast.

"Alright. If there are no objections - I say we should get moving and look for Fishlegs."

"Agreed," replied Arn.

The three vikings and their dragons quickly began moving, making their way towards the path leading down to the lower levels of the town near the cliffs.

Fishlegs being the fisherman he was liked living near the sea. His hut was set up along the cliffs near where the bleachers for watching the dragon racing events once were before they were destroyed during a previous raid.

Despite the town being larger than it once was though, Hiccup still knew where he lived.

As they ran through the burning streets of the village whilst passing by brawls and fights between the orcs and their warriors, Hiccup looked at Arn with a questioning look. He could not get his mind off of what he said earlier.

"Arn. You called the raider captain earlier an orc... What exactly are they supposed to be?"

"All I can say right now is that an orc are what these beasts are," he replied to him. "But I'll tell you more later! Keep running!"

His mind was now flooded with more questions about the race that the raiders were. Orcs - that's what they were. But what exactly was their origin? Where did they come from? He did not know.

Still, Hiccup did not allow these thoughts to distract him from the mission at hand.

They continued running through the streets, cutting down any orc that got in their way - until they soon reached Fishlegs and his hut.

It was burning.

Although the hut had a great view overlooking the ocean, the orcs were still able to climb the cliffs leading up to it, and like with Astrid they had Fishlegs surrounded and cornered.

The Ingerman stood in front of the door of his hut, wielding both hammer and shield whilst standing his ground with Meatlug as he fought off his foe.

But from Hiccup's point of view it looked like he did not need any help.

The twelve orcs that cornered Fishlegs were without a leader, and rather than charging the large viking as a group, they foolishly charged him in pairs.

And the viking and his Gronckle fought as one.

What Fishlegs and Meatlug lacked in speed they made up with strength. The orcs were literally rushing towards their doom as the Ingerman and his dragon bashed them aside.

One came at Fishlegs, attempting to bring his sword up and around at him towards his left arm, but the lad was quick to block with his shield, and with a heavy strike across the orc's face he shattered the brute's skull.

Meatlug as well was standing her ground like a true Gronckle. Using both her bludgeoned tail to bash the orcs away while also spewing forth lava blasts at them, she managed to wipe out half of the group on her own while Fishlegs dealt with the other half.

And the outcome was gruesome.

Burnt and bashed corpses laid around Fishlegs as he slammed his hammer into the head of an orc nearby who was struggling to get up, but like the first orc before him, his skull was crushed.

He looked around him, shouting out, "Anyone else!?"

There was no other orc nearby to challenge him. Only the jaw dropped Hiccup, Astrid, and Arn who watched him and Meatlug take them on alone.

He truly was a pack of muscle.

Hiccup made his way forward to Fishlegs, smirking. "I see you're battle-ready more than ever, Fishlegs."

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked almost aggressively. "Hiccup, they burnt my hut down!"

"Don't worry, we can fix it later. For now we have to find the Twins so we can push these brutes back! Have you seen them?"

He shook his head. "No. But I did hear from someone that they were both down in the docks fighting back the raiders... as well as doing whatever they usually would."

"Tuffnut and Ruffnut," sighed Arn. "Always up to no good, eh?"

"Nope," replied Astrid. "Still, we have to get in there and help them out! Hiccup?"

"Agreed! Let's go!"

Once again the riders got moving, this time with Fishlegs and Meatlug at their side. Now things were about to heat up…

…

* * *

"Haha, you can't get us!" sang Tuffnut, flying around atop Barf and Belch with Ruffnut.

"Grr! Take them down, maggots! Fire the catapults! Loose your arrows! KILL THEM!"

The other ten enemy longships had now docked into the harbor, filled with twenty orcs each along with one catapult per ship. The Twins flew about on their dragon, causing explosions of fire with Zippleback gas to distract the raiders that fired upon them.

And with every shot they launched at the Twins, it was a miss.

"Are you guys even trying?!" laughed Ruffnut. "Get a better aim!"

Deciding that they needed to take a better and more offensive approach, the orcs began to port their longships near the piers, and by the dozens they came off - ready to fight.

And with them came their commander.

The large orc brought his ship onto the main center pier of the docks. He carried a large warhammer and was protected by heavily black-plated armored orcs who marched with him, thirsting for battle.

But despite their heavy numbers, the Twins were not alone.

Down below, Stoick and a hundred of his warriors had rushed in to aid them, lining up in defensive positions at the ends of the five piers the raiders landed on - opposite from them, yet it seemed that the Berkian chieftain was about to go head on with the enemy commander.

Both sides stopped, glaring down each other. Although Stoick was outnumbered, he was ready to give the commander a good fight.

The large orc grinned wickedly. "Look at you," he began. "You are all alone while your allies fight my forces above in your stinking little town! You think you can stop us, Berkians?!"

Stoick lowered his brows as he stepped out from the ranks of the twenty warriors that guarded him. "I'll have you know that I am the chief of this island! You come into my home, threatening my people and thinking you can defeat us?! You have not won yet, brute!"

The commander let out a gargled laugh as he increased his grip against his warhammer. "Do you not see that you have already lost?! Our forces are legion! We will keep coming back even if you beat us here! You cannot-"

"Dad!"

Hiccup's voice bellowed throughout the harbor, loud enough to interrupt the orc which caused Stoick to turn around and eye his son coming towards him.

He spotted the lad running down the ramp into the harbor with the riders and their dragons following, and the viking warriors behind Stoick reacted quickly as they made room for them to make way to his side.

"Well it's about time they showed up," said Tuffnut, still watching them from above.

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Arn came to a halt as they stood by the chieftain, holding their weapons out towards the orcs.

"You came just in time, son," said Stoick with a proud smirk. "Are you ready for a fight?"

"Like I haven't had enough, dad. I say we show them what happens when they mess with the wrong vikings!"

Hiccup's words were loud enough for the commander to hear, to which the orc stepped forward from his ranks, now facing the young viking and his riders eye to eye.

"So," he wickedly cackled, "It is not the chieftain's mighty vikings, but a group of scrawny children and a fat keg who comes to his defense - along with their scaly winged gits! Have you come to die, then?"

"I did not come here to die," responded Hiccup. "I came to bury you here and send you down to Helheim where you belong! Your don't deserve to live!"

"And you believe you can defeat us?! Listen maggot, many voyages from this island beyond your fetid Archipelago, more of us stand ready to sail south to deal with you and the rest of Midgard! What chance do you stand against our legions?"

"They stand more of a chance than you do," spoke Arn as he stepped forward and made an appearance to the orc. "Not expecting to see me here, were you?"

The brute's gritted smirk turned into a look of dreaded anger. If there was anything they hated the most, it was anyone that came from the lands that they too came from and invaded to conquer. That included the Alsworn tribe.

"An Alsworn git stands before us all alone without his tribe and allies? You are weak without them, maggot! You sail south away from Valnr, only to come and die!"

"That is where you are wrong, orc," spat back Arn as he spun his blade provokingly. "I may not stand with my tribe, but I am not alone! Look around you! You are fighting yet again against both dragons and vikings!"

The word _orc_ coming from Arn's mouth caught Stoick and some of his warriors nearby off guard. The chieftain gave a glare. How did he know what they were? Where did they even come from?

"Well to be fair, it's more of us here than dragons," added on Tuffnut randomly from above. "But this Arn dude, I'm starting to like him! Not as much as Hiccup... but still!"

The orc commander merely replied with a laugh as Tuffnut went off topic, and it was a hard laugh. Though to Hiccup, he was now beginning to question not just the orcs now, but Arn as well. More words were also beginning to come back to him from the vision.

Especially that one word; Valnr. What was it?

Eventually the orc stopped laughing as his eyes turned away from Arn and onto Hiccup. "Have you and your tribe ever considered why we are here - or even how we got here? It is thanks to your friend that we have traveled south!"

All of the warriors including Stoick now gave faces of confusion. What was he talking about?

The orc continued talking. "If your Alsworn git had not led us to believe that there were more lands south of where we came from, we would have never been able to discover more maggoty vikings than we could have imagined - or even those git-face dwarves and pointy-earred elves! And now at long last, Midgard will burn!"

Without another word, the orc rose his warhammer up in the air and let out a loud almost ear-piercing roar as he shouted, "CHARGE!"

And with that, the orcs charged at the lines of vikings that stood across from them; with all of them bracing for impact. They were after all outnumbered.

But Hiccup refused to brace. Instead, he rose Inferno up into the air and with a loud voice shouted, "Toothless, plasma blast!"

The Night Fury in response fired his plasma blast at the oncoming orcs ahead of them, and the front rank immediately bursted into flames - setting alight nearly half of them.

The commander however still stood.

This as a result slowed down and nearly halted the orcs' charge, and that's when Toothless's anger took over as he let out a loud and bellowing roar which echoed across the area. He had had enough of not just the orcs, but the raids as a whole.

Everything suddenly went quiet. From what Hiccup understood coming out of his mouth in dragonese however, he heard Toothless shout, _"Dragons of Berk! Your alpha calls for you!"_

What then followed was a great flocking sound of wings, and as Hiccup looked towards the skies he saw many winged figures come into view. It was the sight of half a hundred dragons, coming to aid their alpha.

It was by this point that the orcs had actually stopped their charge as they stared at the sight of the dragons flying above them with their mouths lit, ready to blow them into smithereens. No more viking blood would be spilled tonight.

Hiccup then snapped his fingers, and that's when it happened…

"_Attack!"_ shrieked Toothless.

From all around, the dragons began blasting forth fire at the orcs, setting not just their forces aflame but as well as their longships so that they had nowhere to run.

And in a frightened reaction, the orcs turned around and began running.

All except one…

The orc commander looked all around him as his forces tried to flee for their ships, only to watch as they were burnt alive and blasted apart.

"Stand and fight, maggots! You cowards!" he shouted, but it was far too late.

He looked back at Hiccup who walked forward amidst the burning corpses of his forces, adjusting Inferno as he spun it in a taunting manner. Clearly he too was sick of the raids.

This night, none of them would escape.

The orc gripped his hands tightly on his warhammer and swayed it in the air like a literal maniac. If anything, he was angrier than a dragon.

Hiccup's voice then rose up to the raider. "It's just you and me!"

"DAMN YOU," he shouted beastly. "If I die tonight, then I am TAKING YOU WITH ME! GRAAGH!"

The orc raised his weapon to his right shoulder, now charging Hiccup who alone was now rushing him as well. The two combatants had their weapons up and out - ready to strike, and that's when they both finally clashed…

The two fought with their own unique styles. Like before, Hiccup struck quicker and used his intelligence to think smarter and outmaneuver the orc. The raider in comparison to Hiccup however used brute force and heavier attacks to take him on, and the orc even managed to get a few bruises on him. But with every strike that Hiccup was able to parry and dodge - the smaller viking simply struck back and counter attacked.

As a whole, things were looking even for both of them... until the orc commander rose his hammer up and prepared to bring it down heavily in an attempt to crush Hiccup's skull, but the lad already had a plan up his sleeve.

Though everyone was tempted to help him out, they understood Hiccup wanted this to be a one on one… for now.

With swift speed Hiccup dodged the orc's downward strike from his warhammer, causing him to miss as he swung Inferno at an exposed part of the brute's right arm. His flaming blade came around in a cleave, and in a quick but decisive attack he made a grievous cut across the orc's upper arm.

But that was not enough to stop him.

The commander turned his head to Hiccup who now stood on his right. He firmly grasped his warhammer with both hands and swung it around repeatedly with brute force, hoping to successfully hit the scrawny viking - and although it was close, he still missed.

Hiccup dodged to the right, now standing behind the orc in a defensive position, but the commander was not about to let his assault down. He continued attacking Hiccup head on, once again bringing his hammer down from above.

In response, Hiccup quickly backed up - just enough for him to miss as the orc's warhammer struck the floor of the pier beneath them, strong enough to where Hiccup could feel vibrations underneath his feet.

Now he was in trouble.

"Astrid, Arn, come help me out! Toothless, prepare to fire!"

The two Vikings without question immediately rushed for the orc commander as Toothless flexed his wings out and prepared to ready another plasma blast. It seemed Hiccup had a clever plan up his sleeve to take down the orc.

Both Astrid and Arn roared as they engaged the orc whose back was turned to Hiccup at first, but when he finally spun around to face both vikings he suddenly realized that he was being attacked on all sides.

The two warriors lashed out at the brute who responded by raising up his weapon to block their strikes, putting them in a weapon lock. But that's when he felt something leap on top of him.

Hiccup jumped atop the large orc's back, causing for him to break the weapon-lock with Astrid and Arn as he started shaking and moving around in an attempt to get Hiccup off of him.

But then he felt pain as something sharp and burning stabbed through his upper-back near the back of his neck.

While the commander was shaking Hiccup around trying to get him off of his back, the viking plunged Inferno as deep as he could into the orc, melting through the back of his chestplate, and this in turn started to slow him down.

Hiccup leaped off the orc as he struggled to strike the lad with his heavy weapon, but once again the brute felt a sensation of pain hit him, this time in both of his arms.

Astrid and Arn both took the opportunity to stab their weapons through the exposed upper part of the commander's arms, rendering him completely useless and unable to fight back as he dropped his hammer to the ground. Now it was time to finish it.

As the orc fell to both knees, Hiccup looked at Astrid and Arn and shouted, "Back up! Go go go!" to which the three of them then retreated back to Toothless's side. While they had fought, the black dragon had been preparing his finishing move for the orc, and now he was ready.

Hiccup looked down at the Night Fury, giving him a nod. "Finish this, bud."

"_Gladly."_

Toothless's mouth lit up with purple flames as he began to tread slightly closer to the orc who was on both of his knees. He watched as the Night Fury came closer, and closer, and closer…

Until he was but a couple of yards away from him. And then he let it all out.

The Night Fury unleashed his plasma blast at the orc at almost point-blank range, and in a bright purple light the orc was sent hurling off into flames. The impact of the blast alone however was fatal.

After that, the only thing the riders heard was the sound of a large splash as the commander's body landed in the water of the harbor as it started to sink.

Everyone stood silent. They could no longer hear any fighting up above in the town...

…

* * *

No raider escaped that night. But again, the cost came heavier than what anyone anticipated.

Hiccup and the riders walked through the town center of Berk, gazing at the corpses of vikings and orcs that were scattered around. How much more blood had to be spent over a single raid?

As a matter of fact, Hiccup did not know whether to consider it as a raid anymore. It was more like a siege.

The warriors who wandered the streets were especially disgusted by the damage. Out of the three thousand people they had on Berk, two hundred villagers - as well as a hundred more warriors, laid dead.

Hiccup looked back at the others with much disappointment in himself for not being able to save their fallen. "Let's hope that's the last of them. These raids are costing too much for us."

"If only that were the case," sighed Arn, gazing down at the corpse of a nearby orc. "I've fought with these brutes before, Hiccup. Back at home. You don't understand how many of them there are or what damage they can do. Compared to Snotlout and Clan Jorgenson, they are-"

"Legion, as you say? Are they really here because of you?"

There was a pause. The riders looked off to the side towards the general direction of the great hall as they saw Stoick approach them with an unpleasant look on him. He was not happy at all with the outcome.

Hiccup rose one of brows. "Dad? What are you talking about-"

"Silence, Hiccup..." interrupted Stoick angrily. "I have little time for words. Right now I want all of you to rally to the great hall along with the war council. Get the hall emptied out."

"A war council?" asked Hiccup. "Dad, what are you saying? That we are going to war-"

"I said SILENCE!" bellowed Stoick loudly. "I am not in the mood for talking! Do you not see what cost was brought to us tonight?! I've had enough of it!"

The riders all had bewildered and shocked expressions in their eyes. Stoick's anger had clearly begun to show as a result of the events that had transpired, but they did not know why they were unable to speak their minds.

But it was then that Stoick pointed a finger towards Arn. With a low voice he said, "And you. If you say anything back to me, I will have you cuffed in chains. You know what these… orcs are, so I expect an explanation from you as soon as we begin our meeting for war…"

* * *

**Before I end this chapter off, I want to clear up some confusion or concerns from that last scene that some of you may have, as you**** are probably wondering why Stoick is angry from the loss even after all of the raids Berk has had, especially towards Arn. **

**To answer that, it is simply because Stoick considered what the commander had said, that were it not for Arn, the orcs (as we now call them) would not have made the decision to sail south from where they came from. As to why that is the case, that will be answered in depth next chapter.**

**Also just as a side note, Arn's importance as a character alone is to not just to help Hiccup out but to also give some lore behind the threat they face and as well as other things our characters might question, just like how I did with Magnus in my other story No More. This will help set up the** **future plot. **

**Other than that however, I would like to thank you guys for reading this chapter!**

**And until then, to be continued...**


	12. The Wings of Midgard?

**Just as a quick note before starting, this chapter will revolve much around Arn since he will give a lot of information to our main characters for the lore of this story, and as well as background information. But you may already be curious by the title of this chapter...**

**Still, I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

"Three food stores, twenty huts, a dozen longships, and our ore-mine. All damaged from this one raid," announced Stoick who sat on his throne near the high table. "And it appears now that we have a war on our hands, not with Snotlout, but with these… beasts."

They were all rallied to the great hall. Before Stoick stood Hiccup, Astrid, Arn, Fishlegs, and the Twins who all wondered what the chieftain had to say, with their dragons all the meanwhile guarding outside the hall.

Near the large viking also stood Valka, Gobber, Eret, and the war council of Berk who were ready to hear what he had to say.

The council consisted of Not-So-Silent Sven, and Mulch and Bucket; the three of whom were not so much of fighting, but definitely good at thinking and being strategists.

"Mulch, what's happening?" asked Bucket in a whisper, only to be lightly elbowed by the fat one-legged viking in response.

"Be quiet, Bucket! This matter is too important to speak over."

Still, they were as curious as the riders were with what Stoick wanted to tell them.

The chieftain's eyes fell first on Hiccup, and then on Arn who he knew had all the answers.

He stood from his throne and stepped forward to the table. His hands were pressed flat against it as he leaned forward and looked at the map in front of him.

"Now," he began. "I want answers from you. You know what these brutes are, these…"

"Orcs," Hiccup answered for Arn. "He said they are called orcs."

"Orcs?" asked Gobber and Eret in unison.

"Indeed," briefly replied Arn. "And that's all they are."

"That name sounds brutal and warmongering," commented Valka who stood with her arms crossed. "It is sickening."

"Aye, and yet I still do not understand something," spoke Stoick questioningly. "I know every race in Midgard and in the Nine Worlds, but I've never heard of _orc._"

Stoick's hand then motioned down to the map that laid in front of him as he gestured for Arn to step forward. The young viking did as he was told, and the chieftain then turned the large map around for him to see.

"And so, I want you to point out where you and those brutes come from."

Arn looked down at the map, but merely shook his head. He could see the Archipelago in the center of the map, as well as the continent of Scalmodan to the east, and Lardalor to the west. But not his home.

"I come from none of these lands," he said to which everyone gave a look of confusion. He mentioned before that he came from an island, but the way he spoke made it sound like it was not the case anymore.

Arn turned back around as his eyes locked onto Hiccup. "Do you have anything that I can use to write and draw with?" he asked. "I… I need to show you all something."

Hiccup gave a confused and unsure look in his eyes, but gazing back at his father he saw the look of approval on his face. "Go ahead, son."

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and the Twins made their way over to Arn, and from a small satchel around his waist Hiccup took out a utensil of charcoal and handed it to the blonde-headed viking.

Arn stared at it curiously for a moment, but shrugged before he proceeded to begin drawing something in on the map.

The riders all gathered around and watched what Arn was slowly starting to put in as their eyes suddenly filled with intrigument and wonder.

Near the very upper part of the map, Arn started to draw in not an island - but a landmass. Another continent. Like how Hiccup and many vikings did with maps, he drew in its towns and villages, its forests, its hills, its mountains, and its rivers and lakes.

After about a few minutes of drawing, Arn backed up from the map and they saw the end result. Next to the continent, he wrote down one name that was familiar to Hiccup.

_Valnr._

"This… is Valnr?" asked Hiccup. He clearly heard that name before from the vision. "That's where you come from? So… that means you lied about coming from an island."

"Yes," he replied. "I had to lie to you for a reason - for things I did not want to share with you. I did not trust you at the time, but I do now, and believe me when I tell you that something is coming, and we are all in danger."

"_We?"_ asked Astrid.

"Well to be fair, we've already faced dark opponents before in the past, and we've easily dealt with them," spoke up Sven, joining in on the conversation. "How hard can these orcs as a whole be? I doubt that-"

"This is different," replied Arn as he began pacing the floor. "You don't understand the scale of it. The orcs and their raids are just the start, but soon they will be sending in more than what you can handle, and it's too much."

"How big are we talking, exactly?" asked Fishlegs who would soon regret asking that question.

"Enough to wipe out every viking tribe, dwarven kingdom, and elven realm from the face of this world."

There was a long silence. Everyone looked at each other with worrisome and concerned looks, as well as baffled expressions. The way Arn described it made it sound unreal, but they saw truth in his eyes. How was this possible?

Hiccup looked back at Arn. He was beginning to feel dreadful. "But the orcs," he said. "What do they want with us? What did we do to deserve this?"

"It's not just you they are after. It's all of Midgard," answered Arn. "And although I do not know who leads them, I do know where they came from on Valnr."

"So you know of their origins?" asked Stoick, to which Arn gave a sigh. It was going to be a long story to explain.

"Not exactly. But I can tell you what I know. Let me sit down and explain…"

…

* * *

"_Not much is known about the orcs. All I know is that they crave nothing but the brutality and glory of war. Their appearance was first made when they attacked my father and I on a scouting trip with a war party years ago, and since then their numbers have increased heavily."_

"_The orcs and their forces come from the northern half of Valnr, which is separated by a mountain chain that divides the continent in two, thus the north belongs to the orcs, and the south belongs to us."_

"_But when they came by the thousands, my tribe the Alsworn knew that conflict was inevitable."_

"_We went to war in the Allfather's name, and for years we fought all over the continent. But it seemed like no matter how many orcs we took out, more kept on coming, and over the years the orcs themselves had also gathered allies of their own..." _

_"Though they are not as many as the orcs, they are still dangerous."_

"_They did this through means of either convincing them, or by forcing them into servitude with their dark magic. We call this magic chaos; the very power that the orcs are infused with. You can see it in their eyes. It is why they glow green."_

"_Together, the orcs and their allies united into what is now a world-threatening fighting force. The Dark Legions."_

"_As their numbers continued increasing and their influence expanded, the orcs soon found their way further south till they discovered the open seas, and from there they were able to build fleets of longship after longship to invade the south, and it was only months ago that they started making their raids. It was as if they knew about the rest of Midgard from the start, and I knew then that the Legions were trying to bring this war to the rest of the world."_

"_And if they do, none will survive…"_

…

* * *

Arn's hands were crossed as he leaned forward in the chair he now sat in. Everyone looked at him all surprised and lost in their thoughts. Never had they thought that something like this would ever happen, and it seemed like now that Berk was in the crosshairs of something even bigger than what they had to face with Drago Bludvist.

"So," said Hiccup gently. "Is that why you are here. To find a way to stop them?"

"I already know how to stop them, and that's why I came here to begin with. Unless we can stop the Dark Legions from killing the rest of us, we need the best that Midgard can offer."

"So then why are you here?" asked Hiccup.

There was a short pause. Arn looked back at everyone, knowing this was something they all needed to hear. He then said loudly and clearly to them...

"I came here looking for the Wings of Midgard."

"The Wings of Midgard?" everyone asked in unison, as well as Hiccup. It was obvious that he too wanted to know what it was- or as a matter of fact what _they_ were.

Arn nodded back. "Aye," he replied. "The Wings of Midgard were foretold long ago by the viking ancestors. They are said to be the best warriors in this world. Midgard's defenders. Strong enough to protect it whenever something comes to threaten to destroy it. Like you, they are dragon riders - which is why they are called the Wings, but so far I have not had any luck in finding them."

"And I can tell you for a fact that none of you are them."

"Hmm… Well, I can tell you for certain that we will be able to find them together," assured Hiccup as he made his way closer to Arn. "Is there anything we should know about the Wings of Midgard?"

"All I know is that they are warriors that have the ability to use magic and other skills no viking has, and that they could only be found in an Archipelago in the center of the world where dragons and humans live together. In this case, it's here."

"Was there even a hint of what island they were on?" questioned Fishlegs, but Arn merely shook his head.

"No. Only the Archipelago was mentioned, not an island. The ancestors didn't make it easy for a reason. If the answer was too simple then the Dark Legions would-"

The sudden loud impact of the doors to the great hall bursting opened interrupted Arn and caught everyone all off-guard as ten Berkian soldiers came marching in towards Stoick, dragging with them five Clan Jorgenson troops.

"Oh dear, this doesn't look good," said Mulch.

"Chief Stoick!" one of the warriors called out.

The large chief gave a grim expression as he walked around the high table and down towards the warriors who stopped before him at attention. Everyone else then grouped around them, staring at the five men that they had their arms around.

"Clan Jorgenson warriors?" Hiccup asked one of the warriors. "How did they get here?"

"They're assassins, Hiccup. They snuck into the town and attempted to cause trouble, but we caught them before they could do anything."

"And what did they intend on doing, exactly?" questioned Stoick, glaring at the assassins who glared back at him.

"We don't know," replied another warrior. "But we have reason to believe that they wanted to assassinate Hiccup and his friends."

"What…" lightly gasped Astrid, tightening her fists.

"You have got to be kidding me," grunted Fishlegs.

"Now that's a no-way anyway!" loudly replied Tuffnut, looking at his sister. "And to think that we should have trusted Snotlout in the past."

Ruffnut gave a nod. "You've got that right, bro. After all, he already stole too many boars from me."

Stoick's brows lowered even more. "Is that so? Snotlout Jorgenson thinks he can send his men into my village and assassinate my OWN SON!? That boy has taken it more than just too far this time!"

"Push them to their knees! Search them!"

The men did as they were told, lining the assassins up and forcing them down on their knees as they searched them of anything that was on them. Weapons, tools, notes... and it was all while they were attempting to provoke Hiccup and Stoick.

"Snotlout will break you and your tribe, Haddock!" spat one of them. "Berk will belong to us!"

"Keep dreaming, coward," replied Astrid who unsheathed her axe and held it against the assassin's neck. "You tried to sneak in, and yet you failed. Maybe if I push my axe just a few more inches against your neck…"

"Sir," one warrior spoke up as he inspected the assassin in the middle, taking out a paper of folded parchment. "I found something."

"Hmph," replied Stoick as walked over to the warrior who held the parchment and proceeded to give to the chieftain.

Upon unfolding it, Stoick skimmed through it and saw that it was a direct order given by Snotlout, but upon even further inspection he saw what it was, and out of anger he crumpled it up.

"What is it Stoick?" asked Valka.

"Looks like we're right," he said, gesturing towards the crushed piece of parchment. "According to this, Snotlout made the order to not just assassinate Hiccup and the others, but to as well rob the town's vault of any riches. Looks like he's desperate."

"Shall we kill them, sir?" asked one of the warriors.

"No. Let them run back to Snotlout, and when they do, make sure the message is clear to them that Berk is defended, and that their _leader _has already dug himself a grave."

"...And while you do that, make sure to break one of their limbs... For each of them."

The assassins started to shake. They looked at each other as they were picked to their feet and quickly dragged out of the great hall, all while struggling and yelling out curses at Stoick.

"TO HELHEIM WITH YOU, STOICK THE VAST!"

The chieftain knew Snotlout was not going to be happy.

Hiccup on the other hand looked at his father curiously. "Are you sure that's the best choice, dad?"

"It's the only choice we have," he replied, before giving his son a pat on the shoulder. "Now all of you lads and lasses run along. Leave this meeting to the council and I. We have a long day ahead tomorrow… and possibly a cold one."

"But chief, is there something we can at least do to help-?"

"Fishlegs, I'm pretty sure my dad can handle it from here," responded Hiccup, turning to look back at the others. "For now our priority is finding out where the Wings of Midgard are, and knowing who they really are so we can stop the Dark Legions. But first starting tomorrow we must focus on helping with repairing the village, and then maybe we can search the Berkian library for anything on them."

The Ingerman gave an irritated and exhausted sigh. "Looks like I'll be sleeping at my aunt's hut tonight."


	13. A Snowy Hunt

When Stoick said that the next day would be a cold one, his words were no bluff. Soon the morning came upon the town of Berk, and with it, the first snowfall before winter - which was still months away.

Because of this, Hiccup and the riders had to wear warmer gear, thus they wore furred cloaks and tunics, with the exception of Arn who still had his grey fur mantle around his shoulders and upper chest.

But even with their warm clothes, they could still feel the coldness of the weather piercing their skin, and this didn't help those who were at work repairing the damaged huts from the raid.

As they stood outside Gobber's workshop waiting for the old smithy to come out, they could see the forge from though the window of the shop's counter blazing out it's flames.

This made the Twins in particular needy for warmth and rest as they roughly tucked their cloaks close to themselves.

Tuffnut groaned with exhaustion. "We've been waiting here forever, Hiccup! What's with the hold up?"

"Yeah, you said yourself that Gobber had something _important_ to say! I don't see him anywhere..." said Ruffnut in agreement. The two were obviously impatient.

Hiccup sighed, wrapping his brown furred cloak tightly around himself. "Guys, we've only been here for five minutes. I assure you he'll be out soon. I mean- it's not like he's working on a project."

Ruffnut grunted with a whiny manner. "Yeeep, we have to stay out here while our dragons get to stay indoors and sleep. Good idea Hiccup! Such a veeeery good idea-"

Suddenly the door to the workshop barged opened as Gobber the Belch came walking out with his pants half-pulled up and his grotesque underwear showing to which the group all cringed to in disgust.

Hiccup could only assume he was at his outhouse… again.

"Gobber… were you really-"

"Eh, sorry Hiccup," said Gobber as he fully pulled up his pants before proceeding to approach them. "Had another… load again. But that doesn't matter."

"And I'm glad it doesn't," replied Astrid. "Still, we came here as you wanted us to. What's this about?"

"Well," began Gobber. "As you know, we still need help getting the town sorted back out. The roads and plaza have been cleared up of all the corpses from last night's raid which we burnt, and the villagers are hard at work repairing the huts of any damage. It's thanks to you lads and lasses and your efforts last night that this is all possible…"

The large viking paused for a moment. "But we're running low on resources. Our stocks and storehouses are ruined, meaning we cannot hope to feast or feed this village well enough unless we do something about it."

"I think I get the hint," said Hiccup. "You want us to go out into the wilds and hunt for food?"

"Preferably meat, but aye."

"But where can we search?" asked Arn. "You said yourself that Snotlout set up an outpost near your hunting grounds. He could have warriors guarding it, and besides, we're in no condition right now for a _real_ fight."

"We don't need the hunting grounds," replied Astrid suggestively. "We can go to the fjords and search for meat there. Maybe hunt the local boars and wolves that stalk it."

"The fjords?" asked Gobber as he glanced up at the cloudy, snowy sky with a sigh. "Ah great."

Fishlegs's eyes widened with uncertainty. "Wolves? Are you sure we can eat their meat?"

"Doesn't hurt to find out, now does it?" she asked him with a smirk. "My grandfather once told me that he ate wolf meat during a spring hunt since he had nothing else. If it was safe for him, it's safe for us."

"Plus, we'll still have boar."

"Well, looks like it's off to the fjords then," answered Hiccup, looking back at Gobber. "Though we may need some bows and arrows. We won't be taking the dragons with us as it's too much for them right now."

"What?!" moaned Tuffnut whiningly. "That's a bunch of yak dung!"

"But he's right," nodded Fishlegs. "Our dragons are way too hungry and exhausted as a result of last night's raid. We'll need to rely on each other for this hunt."

"Not a problem with me," said Astrid.

Arn shook his head with a small grin. "Nor for me."

"Good," replied Hiccup eagerly. "Now Gobber, how about those bows and arrows?"

"I'll have them ready for you in just a moment, Hiccup!"

…

* * *

"S- So cold," Fishlegs shivered dreadfully. "I knew I should've stayed back."

To the young vikings, snow falling onto the town was one thing, but snow falling onto the fjords was another thing, especially at a higher altitude. Up in the cliffs, it felt as cold as Niffelheim itself.

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, the Twins, and Arn trudged through the snow, which was now up to their ankles. They held their bows at the ready, and kept their eyes peeled in case anything dared to jump out at them, for their quivers were still stocked with plenty of arrows...

Along their journey atop the cliffs, they went through flatlands of snow, as well as over hills and through small patches of trees, all whilst pulling a cart filled with fresh meat - carved out from boars and wolves.

The Twins, who were the ones managing the cart, began to whine and sigh from exhaustion. Not only was it heavy, but it was becoming too much of a burden... yet they still needed it, for they knew that if they returned empty-handed, then then would most likely receive a lecturing from Stoick.

As such, they moved along...

As they continued treading through the snow, they soon came upon an opening with trees surrounding them from both their north and their east, whilst down below to their west, the river of the nearby continued flowing rampantly.

The snow was no longer up to their ankles, but it was still cold, and it appeared to them as if the only way forward was back.

Hiccup sighed as he looked at at the others, still holding his bow. "Where do we go from here?"

"I- I don't know," replied Astrid, staring at the trees that stood before them. "The woods look too dense for our cart to go through. It won't fit."

"Maybe we should camp?" asked Arn. "We can't go back until we have enough meat, but I think we should plan out where to go from here, and maybe see if we can find a way forward. You know- scout out the area."

"Agreed," nodded Hiccup. "Fishlegs, Arn, get us some wood to set up a fire. Ruff, Tuff, find a spot to drop the cart and count out our travelling rations. Astrid, help me clear out some of this snow so we can set up our fire."

"On it," said both of the Twins.

"We'll be back before you know it," nodded Arn as he and Fishlegs ran off towards the woods.

That left only Hiccup and Astrid to do their thing.

The two looked at each other before they both nodded as they proceeded to make a spot in the center of the area for them to set up a campfire, picking up chunks of snow and throwing them off to the side to make space. This would as well ensure that the fire would not cool or burn out from the snow.

And though their arms and hands were shivering, they eventually got the job done after a few minutes of work.

"Agh," groaned Astrid. "It's so cold. My hands feel like they've been frostbitten..."

"It could be worse right now, Astrid," said Hiccup as he added on with a light chuckle. "Remember where we fought Drago? It was right next to a mountain of Bewilderbeast ice, and in a frozen wasteland mind you."

Astrid sighed. "Yes, I remember Valka's Mountain. But it's been a while since I've felt cold weather like this... Gods, where are Arn and Fishlegs with-?"

"Is this enough?" called out Arn's voice.

Hiccup and Astrid turned around, and from the woods both Arn and Fishlegs came marching out with a pile of sticks and wood with them, though the same could not be said for Fishlegs.

The large lad was carrying six decent sized tree stumps, with three resting on each shoulder. Both Hiccup and Astrid gave surprised looks.

"Where did you guys find those stumps?" asked Astrid.

"Ask... the... survivalist..." said Fishlegs with a breathy voice. The logs were after all heavy. "Arn suggested that we use them as… seats... Gods this is so heavy..."

"Seats?" spoke Hiccup and Astrid in unison.

"I've been out in the wild all my life. Trust me, they won't break," assured Arn.

From there, they began setting up their camp site. Arn placed down the pile of wood on the spot that was cleared of snow, to which Astrid proceeded to rub two sticks from the pile to light the fire. This happened with quick success. Fishlegs then went on to place the six sturdy tree stumps around the fire, and just like so - they were finished.

Hiccup crossed his arms, amused. "Well then, I'd say we've made some progress."

"And what about the Twins?" asked Astrid, to which Tuffnut then yelled in frustration, "Gods dammit! I've lost count again!"

The four of them turned towards Ruff and Tuff who stood by the cart, both of whom were having _difficulty_ counting out their rations.

"How in the name of Loki did you lose count, Tuff?" growled Ruffnut as she motioned with her hand towards the provisions of bread and water, placed out in front of them on an unrolled mat of wool. "Can't you see stupid that it's nine rations of bread and four canteens?!"

"Nine rations?" questioned Fishlegs angrily. "But there was supposed to be eighteen- ...wait, don't tell me you two dimwits ate..."

"We were starving," quickly replied Tuffnut. "So while you guys were working, we settled down and-"

"Tuffnut and Ruffnut, you idiots…" growled Astrid. "It was supposed to be three rations of bread for EACH of us, and you decided to EAT HALF OF THEM?! Nine loaves of bread won't be enough for the rest of us!"

"Astrid's right," said Arn, nodding at her. "But at least we still have our own canteens of water. The Twins had theirs and-"

It was then that his words were suddenly cut off as he looked back at the Twins in shock and frustration, now watching Tuffnut chug down Astrid's canteen of water. Gazing now at the shieldmaiden, she was not pleased.

"Oops," replied Tuffnut upon noticing her reaction.

Her hands turned into fists. "You son of a…"

Before she could make a move however, Hiccup's hand landed on her shoulder as he lightly pulled her back. "Don't worry about it," he said as he shook his head. "You can have mine."

"But what about our food? The Twins ate half of it, and there isn't enough to split between the four of us."

"Uh, we can just have the meat in the cart," responded Tuffnut with a manner of stupidity, to which Fishlegs shook his head.

"We were made clear to not cook nor take a single bite out of that meat. We all know you two want to eat as much as you can from it…"

"Not to worry, Fishlegs, I may have a solution." said Hiccup, gazing back at Arn with a smirk.

The blonde-headed viking gave a questioning look. "What?" he said curiously.

"What say you and I go for a hunt, Mister Survivalist?"

…

* * *

"Mmm, now this is food," said Arn, munching down on a rib of boar meat.

"Mhmm," replied Fishlegs, who was enjoying his food as much as the others.

After Hiccup and Arn left to go hunting, the two of them soon came back with a dead boar in their possession, and from there they carved out it's meat and ribs before cooking them over the fire using a hand-made rack crafted from sticks.

Everyone was enjoying the moment… except for the Twins who sat there without their share.

"C'moooon, why can't we have our own share of boar meat? It's BOAR!"

"You ate our share of rations Tuff, so it's fair that we don't give you or Ruffnut your share until you two have learned your lesson," replied Astrid, holding up her rib tauntingly while smirking.

She then looked to Hiccup. "Also, I've got to admit, as simple as this idea was - it was a good one."

"Why thank you, milady! I enjoy it as well."

"Milady? Eugh," responded Arn in slight disgust, to which the rest of the group began to laugh... except for the Twins of course.

Hiccup chuckled, wrapping his cloak closer to himself. "It's something Astrid and I have developed since the start of our relationship. In fact, everyone had the same reaction as you did at first."

"Pfft, the only reaction I have right now is hunger… or is it a feel-action-thingy? Yeah- that sounds about right."

"Uh, do you mean sensation, Tuffnut?" asked Hiccup, only to be immediately shushed by the stubborn lad.

"Shh shush! I'm trying to think here!"

"Umm… about what exactly?" asked Fishlegs. "Our only thoughts should be getting enough meat to bring back to town, while also clearing this place for our scouts and hunters so they can hunt for more."

"Maybe Ruff and Tuff have had too much ale this morning?" joked Arn. "Perhaps we should send them off to scout."

"What?!" they both groaned in unison. Clearly, they were not fond for scouting or hunting, and for them to be sent out in the cold made them consider it as torture. But really it was a benefit for the group.

Hiccup however nodded in agreement. "That's a great idea! Maybe then we can find a way to move on. Ruff, Tuff, you're both on scouting duty."

It seemed that they had no choice. Slowly but surely, they stood from the stumps that they sat on and walked off towards the woods to scout it out.

As soon as they were both out of sight, the four vikings immediately continued their discussion.

"Ah the Twins… such a pain in the neck. Can't even get them to do a basic task properly."

"Then why do you bother having them around?" Arn asked Astrid, glancing back at her. "If they're really a burden for you all, why do you-"

"They aren't always like this," Hiccup added on. "At times, they're really useful. They helped us escape a collapsed cave, rescued us from dragon hunters, and even did a great job with fighting Drago Bludvist and his lackeys. Of course, that was a long time ago."

"Drago Bludvist, eh? You actually haven't told me much about him... Care to explain who he is?"

"More like who he _was_," replied Fishlegs. "All we can say is that he was the most wicked and warmongering foe we ever faced… of course, until the orcs came."

"Like the orcs, Drago had the intention of conquest," Astrid stated, all whilst eyeing the fire. "He commanded a large army of vikings, dwarves, and enslaved dragons by the thousands. We fought him at Valka's Mountain nearly a year ago..."

"It was a waste of life."

"Aye," nodded Hiccup. "Thousands of vikings and dwarves charged us, and thousands of them died. Not even his war machines could stop us."

"I think they were quite the surprise though," added Fishlegs intriguingly. "Drago's siege weapons, as well as his ships, were made not just with wood, but also metal. He may have had dozens of ballistae, catapults, and traps - but he also had a war machine that I never saw before in person. From what I read in books, it's refered to as a _cannon. _It shoots explosives using a fiery powder, and from what I know, only dwarves know how to make them."

"Well, Drago did have dwarves in his rank," said Astrid.

"I've heard of those," said Arn. "Never thought vikings could get ahold of them."

Hiccup leaned himself closer to the fire. "Hmph, those things were tough to deal with. But they were destroyed either way."

"And I assume you won the battle?" asked Arn.

"No," replied Astrid as she swallowed a bite from her warm rib of boar. "Unfortunately, with the aid of his alpha dragon, the Bewilderbeast, Drago won the battle, and took control of all the dragons. He even took control of Toothless and made him fire a plasma blast at Stoick. Thankfully, it only hit his side, but it severely injured him. Any closer to his chest… and he would have been-"

"I think we get it, Astrid," interrupted Hiccup before letting out a sigh. He did not want to think about the alternative of what could have happened.

"Still, we eventually found our way back to Berk, which was destroyed by the Bewilderbeast's ice, and we even managed to free the dragons of the alpha's control… through something so powerful that Drago himself could not even control it. Thanks to Toothless, his Bewilderbeast was defeated, but Drago himself did not make it."

"Aye," said Hiccup. "As Toothless became the new alpha, the Bewilderbeast went back into the sea and took Drago with him. We never found his body."

"...Well, at least that's in the past," smirked Arn, reaching over to pat Hiccup on the shoulder. "All I can say is that you should be happy that Drago did not win. Who knows what would've become of Berk."

"And what of the Twins?" said Astrid, suddenly bringing them into the conversation. "What's taking them so long?"

"Don't know," shrugged Hiccup. "Maybe they've-"

"HELP! HEEEELP!"

The voice of Tuffnut screaming caught their attention as they dropped everything they were doing, as well as their ribs. They stood to their feet as they saw both of the Twins running out of the woods, and as such, began wondering what in Midgard was happening.

The two vikings stopped before Hiccup, breathless.

Tuffnut spoke fast with his words. "Oh Loki, thank goodness we've made it back to you Hiccup. You wouldn't believe what we-"

"Whoa, slow down," said Hiccup. "Just tell me exactly happened. Did you guys find something? Is something chasing after you-?"

Hiccup's answer was immediately given. The sound of something large shook the ground, almost like gigantic footsteps, all whilst the trees to the north were being knocked over one by one.

Then a loud roar followed - the roar of something mighty and vicious that had the strength to brutally tear a viking in two with its bare hands. It was not the roar of a dragon, but the roar of a…

"Troll!" gasped Hiccup.


	14. Dreadful Discovery

**Sorry about the delay guys! I have been having to deal with school for the past week, but because I am now on break I can finally get back to this with hopefully a better upload schedule.**

**Also just as a quick note, there will be somewhat of a cliffhanger at the end of this chapter, and some of you may probably question it. Personally, it is something I myself would not have seen coming.**

**Anyways, with that out of the way, let us begin! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Troll!"

As soon as Hiccup yelled out the word, a patch of trees before them were knocked down, and out of the woods came a large, fifteen foot tall troll. But upon first glance, they could all immediately tell that something was off.

The troll had a weapon in its hands, and it was not a mere tree log like most trolls would use - rather it was an _actual_ weapon. A giant spiked mace.

Along with that, the troll's skin was darker than usual; nearly a grey rocky color that made Hiccup remind him of something… the orcs.

But it was the troll's eyes that gave it all away. They both glowed with the same evil green magic that Arn spoke of. Chaos; which meant the troll before them was corrupted by the orcs...

Trolls were not creatures that were at all fonded by the races of Midgard. There were many types of them; forest trolls, mountain trolls, cave trolls, and even stone trolls - who were the only types of trolls that would turn to rock upon the sun touching their skin.

Unfortunately for the vikings, the troll that stood before them was a mountain troll. A _very_ angry corrupted mountain troll.

As the brute glared Hiccup and the group down, it tightened its grip on the mace as it slowly began its advance, causing them to back away from the fire.

"I knew one way or another I'd fight a troll sooner or later! It's tainted with chaos magic," said Arn as he unsheathed his sword.

"Arn! You never mentioned the orcs having trolls with them!" nervously spoke Fishlegs, taking out his hammer and shield.

"I told you before that the Dark Legions have other races with them! What did you expect? Goblins?!"

"Guys, now is not the time right now!" replied Hiccup who steadily began to back up. "Spread out! And get ready to fight! It won't be able to hit us all if we-"

"HICCUP!"

Astrid's voice bellowed loudly as the troll made its first move and charged Hiccup. It roared like a maniac, bringing it's large mace upwards and then down in an attempt to crush him. But due to its large size, it was not quick enough.

Hiccup swiftly leaped backwards, and just feet from him the large weapon pummeled itself into the snowy ground. It was a miss.

At first he let out a breath in relief, but then realized that the fight was just beginning.

Once again the troll lunged forward at Hiccup, and this time began making a flurry of heavy but slow diagonal swings. With each attack it gave, Hiccup did his best to back up, duck, and leap out of the way - but it would not let up no matter what.

At one point the troll once again struck its mace into the ground, and quickly Hiccup managed to strike his blade Inferno into the troll's hand while it was trying to bring its weapon back up. The cut looked small, but it was deep enough to make the troll roar in pain.

But the pain became anger.

The troll raised its mace from the ground and prepared to again bring it down on Hiccup, but then it suddenly felt something strike it in the side of it's chest - small but sharp.

Astrid still had her bow on her, and shot an arrow at the beast to get it's attention. She became certain that now its attention would turn on her.

And surely enough, it did.

Dropping the bow to the side, Astrid unsheathed her axe and glared at the troll as it charged her. Like with Hiccup, it brought it's mace up in an attempt to bring it straight down on her.

But rather than standing still and defensive, she went onto the offensive and charged back at it - but did not exactly attack it directly.

Instead, the swift shieldmaiden slid underneath the troll in-between it's legs which were spread out wide, and with a lob of her axe she chopped into the troll's left leg.

Now standing behind the troll, Astrid heard it roar louder than the last time. The pain of the wound she inflicted must have been more than the last attack by Hiccup, and that meant it was more furious than before.

It turned around to face her, bringing it's mace around and down to crush Astrid - but like Hiccup she lunged backwards and dodged its attack.

And it was during this moment that the others ran to Astrid's side to help her. The troll now reached it's left arm out in an attempt to grab her.

"We've got your back Astrid!" called out Hiccup. "Arn! Get it's attention on us, will you?!"

Arn firmly nodded, unsheathing a throwing dagger from his belt before hurling it towards the troll's left arm, catching the beast off guard as it turned to it's right to see the others rushing towards it.

But before it could even make a move, Hiccup with the use of much of his strength leaped onto the troll's right arm and began to climb him. It attempted to reach for him, but Arn again threw one of his throwing daggers at it.

Instead of going for the left arm reaching for Hiccup however, he went for the right arm, and the dagger made a wound which was enough to where the troll dropped its mace and turned its attention back on the others.

Fishlegs and the Twins on the other hand tried to climb the troll like Hiccup, but were immediately shaken off before being smacked down flat on their backs by a swing from the beast with it's hand.

It was not a fatal blow, but it definitely hurt them badly as if they were bruised, making them feel like they were hit with a hundred fists.

"Oww…" groaned Tuffnut in the snow. "I... I think I may need a pillow."

Meanwhile, Hiccup was crawling all over the troll's back and stabbing cuts as deep as he could into it with Inferno. The combination of fire and metal cutting into the troll made his stab wounds easy to make, like a knife going through butter, but they just made the troll more arrogant by the moment.

It started moving around like a crazed person, shaking itself to try and get Hiccup off of its back, but it was unable to. He held on for dear life, and even as the troll reached its arms back to try and grab him, it could not reach him.

But Hiccup knew he could not stay like this forever. So he called out for Astrid.

"Astrid!"

"Yeah, Hiccup!?"

"Get your bow, and get ready to shoot it!"

Without question or another word, Astrid ran towards where she dropped her bow and picked it up. Thankfully she still had her quiver of arrows on her back, and she immediately reached out for an arrow and aimed at the troll.

"SHOOT IT!" Hiccup screamed. "Just shoot it already!"

"Where?!" replied Astrid.

"IN IT'S JAMBAGS!"

"Ugh, it doesn't HAVE ANY JAMBAGS! Why can't you-!?"

"JUST SHOOT IT!"

Astrid growled as she pulled her arrow back and shot it at the troll, successfully hitting it in the chest. But even with that, it still would not stop moving around.

With Fishlegs and the Twins too exhausted and unable to move, only she, Hiccup, and Arn could turn this around, thus she knew they had to improvise.

But how?

She could not think in time however as Hiccup was eventually shaken off the troll, knocked down into the snow on his back a few yards to the right from her, and it seemed there and then like he was going to be stomped on to death.

The troll marched towards Hiccup who struggled to get back up, but the large creature suddenly stopped in its tracks as it once again felt something jump on its back. A blonde-headed viking in particular.

"You've screwed up now, big fella!" shouted Arn as he began stabbing his blade into the back of the troll like Hiccup did before, going through it's flesh like butter.

The troll screamed and roared viciously as it struggled to get Arn off him, but it's wounds were becoming more and more as the lad continued stabbing, and the beast started to slow down in its movement.

Hiccup watched this from where he laid, mustering the strength to get back onto his feet, or rather foot, to help Arn out. He looked at Astrid and gave her a nod.

"Continue shooting the troll! I've got a plan to take this beast out!" he told her as his eyes then looked up at Arn who struggled to keep himself on as he kept stabbing.

"Arn! Keep that troll distracted! And try to hold on!"

"Hold on to what, it's back?! How long do you even need!?"

"As long as we need so we can kill it! Just hold on until it faces me!" answered Hiccup.

Arn did as he was told. He kept holding on as the troll struggled to get him off of it, all while Astrid kept firing her arrows without trying to hit Arn. So far however, it seemed like they were getting nowhere. The troll just kept moving around trying to get Arn off of his back…

Until it was finally facing Hiccup.

He wasted no time, and with a fierce rush he charged the large creature and stabbed Inferno as deep as he could into its chest, making it let out a roar that caused the ground beneath everyone's feet to vibrate even the slightest.

Hiccup pulled out his blade from the troll, which in response roared again in his face, and then he turned back to Astrid. "Aim for the mouth! NOW!"

Astrid did as she was told, pulling out an arrow from her quiver as she aimed for the mouth of the roaring troll and shot her projectile accurately and precisely into it which then travelled slightly down it's throat and…

The troll felt a sharp and spreading pain in its neck as the wind began to escape it. The arrow with its successful shot managed to slice open the windpipe from the inside. The air then started to escape it, and there was nothing the troll could do as it felt everything go black before falling straight over onto it front.

Arn immediately jumped off the troll, rolling upon landing on the ground as he stood to his feet and wiped himself off. The three of them looked at the large brute, and let out a sigh of relief.

It was dead.

And as it died, the large mace which the troll wielded was suddenly engulfed by green magic, before it disappeared. Hiccup assumed it was conjured.

"Excellent work, Astrid!" he complimented her.

Although the troll landed on its front, Hiccup saw that its head had in fact landed on its side, allowing for him to see it's face, and it was then that he noticed the green magical glow in it's eyes leave it like snow blowing in the wind.

He looked back at Arn with concern. "The troll's eyes, they're no longer green..."

"Well, that's what's supposed to happen when someone corrupted with chaos magic dies. The magic leaves it's host and returns to wherever it originated from, though I do not know where."

"I hate to interrupt," said Astrid, pointing her thumb back to Fishlegs and the Twins who laid in the snow. "But shouldn't we help them?"

Hiccup and Arn looked at each other, responding with a nod as they rushed over to help up the Twins and Fishlegs. Though they were bruised, they were alive.

Fishlegs groaned as Hiccup helped him to his feet, and felt a light waking slap against his face. "Fishlegs, are you alright?"

He rubbed his lower back, narrowing his head up to face Hiccup. "I- I am fine," he responded. "But... did you kill it?"

"It's dead alright," said Hiccup, motioning with his head towards the corpse of the dead mountain troll.

"Ugh, why didn't we get to have any fun?" asked Tuffnut as he nudged Arn away after being helped up. "We could have wrecked that fat muttonhead like a herd of yaks! Like a..."

"_That is a bold way to describe my pet…"_

Everyone lightly gasped at the sound of a voice echoing through the air. But Hiccup could judge by the guttural sound of the voice that it was an orc. The question was, where was he?

"Show yourself, orc!" he shouted.

"_As you wish,"_ laughed the orc.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a green vortex of fire bursted upwards in the center of the camp where their campfire was - which in turn destroyed it as well as the small area around it as it was conjured.

Hiccup and the others covered their eyes, and as soon as the green fire doused itself out, they looked back and saw an orc standing there - but it was no ordinary one.

The orc wore black robes that were covered in green runes, along with a tattered hood. His eyes glowed more green and fiercely with chaos magic, and in his right hand he held a staff with a stag-skull at its head. The skull's eyes also glowed with chaos magic.

"A- a shaman?" asked Hiccup in a shaky voice. He had never seen an orc spellcaster before.

"A warlock," answered Arn, stepping forward in defense of the group. "I have not seen one come this far south before. What are you doing so far away from Valnr, fiend?"

"Hm, brave words I must say. Regardless of what you think, know that I have come to deliver you a message from my warlord," said the orc warlock with a chuckle. "After seeing you fight my troll, I can see now that he was right when he told me that you would survive, even without your dragons... though it was necessary."

"Warlord?" asked Hiccup. "How would he have known that? Your beast was close to killing us, orc!"

"This troll was but one of many that we have. I simply managed to have found this one up in the mountains and decided to use it for good use."

"Good use!? By corrupting it and using it as your pet?" asked Astrid. "That is just slavery!"

"You may say what you want about it, but my warlord insists that you receive his message - one way or another…"

The orc slightly raised his hand up as he conjured up chaos energy threateningly, which made Hiccup realize that he had to hear the warlock out willingly, or it would lead to a fight he could not win.

"What do you want…"

The orc grinned wickedly as he lowered his hand and dismissed the green foul magic. "That is more like it," he replied, satisfied.

"Now," he began. "Down to the point... On an island to the northwest from here, larger than this one, an army of the Dark Legions is amassing, readying to sail and strike your home. Judging by the defenses of your village however, there is no way that you can survive the onslaught if it comes here… but if you want to stop us, by all means, my warlord wants you to come to our fortress on the island and fight us there. See if you can... best us."

"And what is this island called?" asked Hiccup.

"Ahh… it is the Island of Tomorrow," grinned the warlock, to which everyone gave off surprised gasps, especially Hiccup, whose fists began to tighten up.

The Island of Tomorrow was the ancestral home of all Berkians, whom were formerly called the Wilderwestians because of Hiccup's ancestor, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I. He was the first who ruled the Vikingdom of the Wilderwest, which back then united much of the Archipelago under a single ruler.

And now the orcs had taken it. But how? Was it not cursed?

"Out of all the islands, why did you…"

"Our warlord knew you would react this way," smirked the warlock. "Still, if you seek to fight us, come to the Island of Tomorrow with whatever force you can muster, and face us… Warlord _Drago Bludvist_ gives his regards."

"Drago Bludvist!?"

More questions rose up for Hiccup, and as he was about to speak the warlock snapped his fingers and quickly disappeared in a burst of green chaotic fire.

It soon came to everyone's attention however that what remained of the area around the orc from where he stood was desolate ground, corrupted with patches of chaos magic that seeped through the blackened and disgusting dirt, rising up in the air like smoke.

This was what Midgard would become if the orcs were not stopped.

Hiccup all the meanwhile was at a loss of words. Their hunt had turned into something more, and his questions about the Wings of Midgard now piled up with Drago Bludvist being alive. Was he somehow _revived_, or did he just survive? And the orcs and their army... how big was it? Perhaps it was twice or thrice the amount than from the raid the night before?

He turned to face the group with a lost look. But instead of saying a single word, his gaze fell towards the path they came from, and as such, he began to make his way along it, back to the village.

"Hiccup, where are you going? Aren't we going continue the hunt?" asked Fishlegs.

"The hunt is over," Hiccup replied with dread. "Get our cart moving. We're returning to town with what we have. I want no excuses."

As the group readied the cart full of meat, Hiccup just kept walking down the path, all while deeply thinking to himself on the new matter.

_"Drago, leading the orcs... how in Thor's name is this possible? How is he even alive!?"_


	15. Tales Of The Past

The young vikings returned to the town as soon as they could with what meat they collected, thankful that they were done with their hunt up in the fjords, and that they could warm up and enjoy the respite.

However, what Stoick did not expect was what Hiccup was about to tell him, and as they stood near a cliff overlooking the ocean, the lad told his father everything he learned.

"...And that's when the warlock just snapped his fingers and disappeared in chaos fire. Almost as if he… teleported or something."

Stoick slowly bobbed his head in a nod, carefully hearing out his son. "This chaos magic sounds dangerous, very dangerous. I always wondered why the orcs had green eyes and rough skin, but now we know."

"That's not all," continued Hiccup. "The area around where we set up our campfire was just… destroyed. Corrupted. And what's worse is that we can't remove it. I asked Arn if there was anyway to get rid of it, but he said it is corrupted beyond repair. No spell can undo it."

"Berk, the Archipelago, and all of Midgard will suffer the same if we don't do something."

There was a pause. Stoick rubbed his hand against his beard in deep thought. What worried him, as well as anger him more however was not the orcs themselves, but Drago Bludvist being alive and having the Island of Tomorrow under his control.

Drago during his reign as a viking warlord was nearly unstoppable. His tactics crushed and annihilated foe after foe, and his iron fist of tyranny dominated much of the northern Archipelago before his defeat. And now he had sided with the orcs.

"It's quite difficult to take in," spoke Stoick concerningly. "Drago is alive and allied with our greatest enemy. That is something I could have never imagined. And what is worse is that he leads them…"

"...But maybe not entirely."

"What?" questioned Hiccup. It sounded like Stoick was onto something.

The chief's head turned to face his son directly. "Think about it, Hiccup. There was no way Drago could not have saved himself after being tossed into the sea with his Bewilderbeast. The chances of survival would have been zero… unless something saved him: Something behind the curtain that not even Drago could command."

Hiccup arched a brow. "Are you suggesting something powerful saved Drago?"

"Aye, and whatever it is, it could be the catalyst for why the orcs have grown and become so strong… perhaps even the reason why they were created. Still, we need to find out as we do not know whether that's the case."

"Don't worry dad," said Hiccup. "I sent Fishlegs to the Berkian library to find any information on the Wings of Midgard. Hopefully we'll be able to discover their location. Astrid and Arn went off to help mom and Gobber with repairs and storing food, and the Twins… well, they've gone back to sleep."

The Berkian library was a large stone structure built near the cliffs of the village right by Gothi's tower. It was a place of knowledge and magic for those who were interested in learning such as Fishlegs. Fire, ice, and lightning magics were present in the runes and statues that were built within the library's structure, but only few could ever dream of mastering a single element.

If anything, most of the knowledge there was founded by Gothi herself.

"Hrm… I doubt Gothi would know anything about the Wings of Midgard," said Stoick. "Then again, traders in the past have come from across the sea bringing relics and books. It is a shame they have stopped coming in though, thanks to Snotlout of course..."

"Snotlout?" asked Hiccup. "I actually haven't heard any response from him, not since last night after his assassins tried to assassinate the others and I."

"He will most likely be occupied with reorganizing his village," replied Stoick as he crossed his arms, now looking out to sea. "From what I've heard from my scouts, he still has not been able to repair his village entirely. Some of the people of Clan Jorgenson are even beginning to doubt him."

"Are you serious?"

Stoick nodded. "Aye, and if this continues going on then we might be able to focus all our efforts against the enemy. Snotlout will become a thing in the past..."

"...Now, if you'll excuse me Hiccup, I have other things to attend to. You should go check up on your dragon if you can."

And with that, Stoick walked off to focus back on his chiefly duties as he silently spoke to himself, which Hiccup assumed was most likely a further plan of action.

As the lad was about to walk off however, he spotted Fishlegs in the distance who was hastily running towards him, before stopping in front of him short of breath.

"H- Hiccup," he began, crouched down before standing up straight. "I found something from the library. An old book. But there is something you might want to read from it..."

"...Get Astrid and Arn. Meet me at my place."

…

* * *

Fishlegs set the old book on Hiccup's desk for the four of them to see, as well as Toothless who had been woken up as soon as his rider returned.

They all gathered around Hiccup who sat in the chair, and upon opening the book he was greeted with fiery runes which were written and enchanted in the back of the front cover - as was with many books.

But the particular book in front of them was a spell book.

He looked back at Fishlegs questioningly. "Alright… so what did you want to show me, Fishlegs?"

"Go to the last few pages," he said, which was at first confusing to Hiccup. He then added on, "Most of the pages and chapters in this book are useless. The last chapter is something you need to see."

Hiccup was about to respond, but instead he quickly shrugged it off as he turned to the last pages of the book, where he was then greeted with something unordinary. In front of him, at the top of the page were another set of enchanted runes. But they weren't any runes Hiccup knew, as they were not fire, nor ice, nor storm.

_"Wow, shiny!"_ crooned Toothless in Dragonese.

"A new element...?" asked Astrid.

The runes glowed with a magic as blue as the opened skies. It was an element that none of them had ever seen before. As mysterious as it was, it was also fascinating to the young vikings.

However, what was more interesting was the title of the chapter, written below the runes.

_The Wings of Midgard._

The title was rather strange and peculiar to them. Why would a spell book such as this in particular have anything on the Wings of Midgard?

Hiccup tilted his head to Fishlegs. "W- Where in the library did you find this?"

"It was in a forbidden part of the mage's section. But it doesn't matter. Just read it."

The lad gave a nod, turning back to the book as he proceeded to begin reading aloud...

…

_Chapter the Twenty Fourth. The Wings of Midgard._

"_Many who read this may say what is given is false. But know that what happened all those years ago was true in its history…"_

"_Nearly a thousand years ago, when the world was younger, a shadow swept over the islands and continents of Midgard as everything fell under the gaze of a new power that became manifest. Dark grey clouds flew over the north of the world as green lightning struck the skies unnaturally, and brought with it chaos."_

The word _chaos_ immediately made everyone think of the dark magic the orc warlock used. Regardless however, Hiccup continued on.

"_What brought the storm however was not an omen or curse, but a dark shadow from the north whose power was beyond mortal comprehension. Many called it a beast, but others called __him__ a demonic dragon - and for good reason..."_

"_His voice bellowed with the roar of a hundred dragons. His wings flapped with the sound of thunder. And the green flames he breathed burnt everything and anyone with a touch; yet his other powers were as dangerous. Chaotic storms formed overhead wherever he went, corruption was at his command, and his green magic drained the life out of those he fought."_

"_In time, many would come to address him as the Dark Master. And many fell for his offer of power…"_

"_None could resist the temptation, and those who were offered the Dark Master's magic of chaos gladly took it. Soon, tens of thousands of vikings fell to his blackened will, and under his dark command, they raged war across the world of Midgard for nearly a hundred years. Thousands stood against him, and thousands were slaughtered…"_

"_Until they came."_

"_At the very roof of the world, at the top of a large black mountain, seven brave viking warriors from atop their dragons came before the Dark Master's throne of power and addressed themselves to him, only as the Wings of Midgard."_

"_Their leader stepped forward, and offered the Dark Master a chance to surrender, to which he refused. __**"I will never surrender to you, humans," **__he roared, and with little further response he flew high up into the air. The Wings of Midgard followed him from behind, and what came was a great battle."_

"_The Dark Master's bulk of a body began to grow. His wings became larger and wider, his horns were gigantic and intimidating, and his hands grew to the point where he could grab the seven great warriors and their dragons and crush them like insects. Altogether, they were barely a quarter the size of his palm."_

"_But, even after becoming such a great size, the Wings of Midgard were not afraid."_

"_With the aid of their dragons, the Wings of Midgard assaulted him and flew around his gigantic body, casting spells, and attacking with their magical weapons as fast as their strength could allow them. Even the furious attacks made by their dragons counted as something."_

"_The Dark Master too did what he could. His large hands and claws swept in many directions, all whilst he breathed out massive waves of green fire, and summoned up large storms of chaotic lightning that crackled the skies."_

"_The battle was so intense that large chunks of the mountain below them came crashing down on itself, and though it is unknown how they did it, the Wings of Midgard defeated the mighty evil as he was brought low."_

"_The Dark Master's body shrunk and plummeted back down to the pinnacle of the mountain, which had transformed into a crater. Much of his power was drained, and he could do nothing to resist."_

"_What happened to the Wings of Midgard afterwards is unclear. What is certain however is that…"_

…

Hiccup was at the very last page of the book, but he could read no further. The words before him were runes he could not read. It was not Nordic, and nor was it Dragonese.

In a desperate act, he flipped through the book, turned it over, and tried to see if there was perhaps a hidden flap. But there was nothing. No answer.

Hiccup grunted as he slammed the book down and shut it closed.

"Gods dammit! There's nothing else to this!" he yelled loudly. "How is an archaic language supposed to help us at all-!?"

"Hold up Hiccup," interrupted Arn. "We understand you want answers, but I doubt that the Wings of Midgard would have made it _that_ simple for us to find them."

"Well I will say, I'm surprised as to what extent this chaos magic can do," said Astrid. "The orc warlock's powers were not even a fraction. But this Dark Master..."

"_Well, at least we know how long dragons have existed. Exciting!" _Toothless added on, to which Astrid rose a brow.

"What did he say...?"

"THIS ISN'T THE TIME RIGHT NOW!" shouted Hiccup, slamming a fist hard on his desk as he finally let it out, silencing the whole room.

The lad looked back at the others, breathing heavily in irritation and anger as they stared at him in shock, petrified by his sudden outburst. Eventually, the lad shook his head, slowing down to a sigh.

"You might as well give up on the search," he replied. "If they were really alive a thousand years ago, then that can only mean one thing..."

"...The Wings of Midgard are dead."

"I refuse to believe that," said Arn.

"Me too," added Fishlegs. "If the Wings of Midgard are truly dead, then what would have been the point in all of this research? What would've been the point of Arn's journey? We-"

"Forget it, Fishlegs," interrupted Hiccup. "There's no point in continuing the search. But if you guys are really still eager in going on with this, then be my guest. I don't want this book."

With a swift shove of his hand, he set the spell book to the side, standing to his feet as he began his way towards the door, but not before motioning with his head for Toothless to follow. As such, the Night Fury obeyed.

"Hiccup? Where are you going?" asked Astrid.

"To get some fresh air. I could use a flight."

Soon, both Hiccup and Toothless were out of sight, as Arn, Astrid, and Fishlegs were the only ones left in the room.

Fishlegs sighed. "What do we do now?"

"You guys go do your own things," said Arn, turning his eyes to the book. "I refuse to give up the search. I'm going to study this book and see what I can find. Maybe there is something in here that can help."

"Hmph… I guess I'll go after Hiccup then. I'll try and calm him down," replied Astrid, to which Arn nodded agreeingly as she bolted out of the room.

"I- I'll go check on Meatlug. She's probably hungry and still waiting for breakfast," said Fishlegs, before he too exited the room, leaving Arn alone as he grabbed the book and started to look through it. He knew there had to be something.

He then swiftly turned to the very first page. "Let's see what we can learn…"


	16. Rising Tensions

"What am I supposed to do?" Hiccup asked himself as he flew atop Toothless, high above the snowy forests of Berk. "There is so much happening right now, and it feels like it's tearing me apart. I have not felt like this ever since I abandoned my dream for a viking-dragon utopia."

"_Maybe you should consider going to that runestone again," _replied Toothless in Dragonese. _"It helped give us answers before, so why not do it again?"_

Hiccup was slightly surprised he understood much of what Toothless said, but that did not help in changing his mood. "The runestone only gave me visions, Toothless. If anything, that was only a one time use."

"_Still, I don't think you should be doubtful of yourself! I personally agree with what Fishlegs and Arn said. I believe the Wings of Midgard are still alive!"_

Hiccup shook his head with a sigh. "Believe what you will, bud. But I don't believe it."

"Believe what?"

A feminine voice from behind Hiccup caught his attention as the familiar friendly figure of Astrid came swooping in atop Stormfly. Though the cloudy sky was bright as she was silhouetted, he still easily made her out.

"You know I can hear you from more than a dozen yards away. Are you talking with Toothless again?"

"Yeah," he replied almost monotone. "We were just talking about the Wings of Midgard. No matter what anyone says though, I do not believe they are out there."

"Just because it was a thousand years ago?" she asked him. "Hiccup, we don't know even know if they're alive _or_ dead. But we all still believe that they are out there somewhere, living. I mean- you only need to look at the dwarves. They are hundreds of years old, as well as the elves who are older than them."

"But the Wings of Midgard _were_ not elves, or dwarves, or any other race! They were humans. They were _vikings…"_

"...Vikings who knew magic," Astrid added on with a small smirk. "Just don't give up Hiccup, alright? Alive or not, we do not know. The best thing we can do right now is wait and see... Can you trust me?"

"...Alright. I guess I'll keep holding on," replied Hiccup with a sigh. "Anyways, I want to ask - what are you doing here Astrid?"

"Oh, I just came to check on you. You seemed a bit ticked and tense after that outrage. But I guess you feel better now?"

"A bit," he nodded as she smiled in response. "That's good."

"_Hey, what about me? I still feel hungry..." _squawked Stormfly in Dragonese. "_I didn't get my chicken this morning. All I had was boar meat and fish. Eugh."_

"You didn't feed Stormfly any chicken?" Hiccup asked Astrid.

"No, we were out. The raid last night destroyed our stock of chicken meat and- ...how did you know that?"

"I can speak Dragonese, remember?" he laughed cheerfully. "But hey, at least we still have our farms for our livestock."

"Yeah, but we can't grow any crops. The cattle alone won't be enough for the coming winter in a few months. We still need to hunt more meat and get more fish."

Hiccup gave a nod. "My dad promised to send hunters up in the fjords last I spoke with him, and he said he's made preparations to send out fishing boats with dragons accompanying each of them. We should have enough by the end of the week if we-"

"Uh, Hiccup," interrupted Astrid alertingly, her tone filled with curiosity. "Is it me, or are those Clan Jorgenson warriors that I see down there?"

She pointed a finger down below towards a clearing in the distance where Hiccup could see ten men marching, though not in formation. Upon squinting his eyes however, he saw that they were indeed Clan Jorgenson warriors…

But they were suspiciously unarmed.

"Strange," said Hiccup with an arched brow. "What are they doing all the way out here?"

Astrid shook her head. "I don't know, but I think we should find out."

"_I guess it's time to pick up the pace,"_ warbled Toothless has both he and Stormfly picked up in their speed, flying down and towards the ten warriors.

The warriors down below turned their eyes, and from their perspective they saw the incoming figures of the two dragon riders and their dragons as they soon landed in front of them, and immediately they backed up, not daring to make a move against them.

Hiccup and Astrid dismounted from their dragons, with Hiccup taking out Inferno and detracting the fiery blade as it blazed and Astrid unsheathing her axe which looked ready for a fight.

"Right," began Hiccup. "If one of you don't tell me what your lot is doing out here so close to our village, we are going to-"

"W- Wait!" spoke one of the warriors shakingly, raising his hands out in front of him. "We're not here to fight you, Hiccup! We come in peace!"

"What?"

The two young vikings spoke in unison upon hearing the warrior's response, baffled yet also surprised - especially since he called Hiccup by his name rather than Useless. From the way he spoke, he was not lying.

Hiccup retracted Inferno. "What are you doing out here, warrior?"

"...W- We were kicked out of Jorgenson village," the man replied as he calmly approached Hiccup, not showing any signs of aggression in his posture. Both Hiccup and Astrid however were just completely surprised. Why would Snotlout do this to his own men?

"Snotlout was not the leader we thought he was," continued the warrior. "My group and I have been starving for days, and Snotlout has been stealing food from our homes just to feed himself. Only a quarter of the village's farms stayed intact after the storm, and now the whole town is going hungry. It's not enough to feed us. He's also been taxing us heavily to repair his great hall and hut."

"But why were you kicked out?" asked Astrid.

"My men and I spoke out against him. We told him we wanted more food just to be able to tend to our loved ones, but Snotlout merely shrugged us off. He relieved us of our ranks and kicked us out of the village. Thankfully, we managed to take our families with us. Right now they're a bit behind since we are scouting ahead, but hopefully they should-"

"Papa!"

The sound of a small voice from behind the group of men caught everyone's attention as they saw a little girl rushing towards them, with more than thirty other people slowly following.

"Bjorna!" the warrior said cheerfully.

The crowd made room as the large man ran to his little girl and lifted her up into a hug before placing her onto his shoulder with his buff hands. Hiccup and Astrid knew right away it was his daughter.

"You have a daughter…" smiled Astrid.

"Aye," the warrior said. "But do you two believe me now?"

"Papa," spoke the little girl. "Is that Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson? Are they here to take us home?"

Hiccup felt something hit him, a feeling he had not felt in a while when he heard the warrior's daughter say that word: Home. A grin formed on his face as he gave the little girl a cheerful nod.

"Yes. Astrid and I will help escort you all to the town. My dad will be glad to welcome you back into our tribe…"

…

* * *

Upon reaching the town, the former Clan Jorgenson warriors and their families were given a personal warm welcome back into the Berkian Tribe from Stoick himself as he gave each warrior a firm pat on the shoulder. Of course, finding a home would not be too difficult as half of the huts in the village remained empty ever since Snotlout rose to power.

But now the warriors and their families could reclaim what they left behind.

Despite this joyful moment however, Hiccup and the others were soon summoned by Stoick, along with Valka, Gobber, and Eret who were clueless as to what their chief had to say.

And in the great hall, the news came to them like a flash. And it was not good news at all…

Stoick stood from his throne, slowly walking towards Hiccup and the group who were gathered and grouped up in front of them - along with their dragons.

"_What is going on?"_ asked Toothless softly in Dragonese.

Hiccup gave a shrug as he whispered back to him, "I don't know. We'll just have to hear him out."

Stoick now stood before them, ready to give his 'speech.' "Hiccup… Valka… vikings…" he slowly began. "As you all know, the orcs are making plans to launch another attack against us. Not a raid, but an onslaught - as Hiccup tells me. Their fortress is located on the Island of Tomorrow, our ancestral home, and Drago Bludvist is the one in command of them. If we are to have any hope in stopping them, we must make our own move against them. I know many of you will disagree with what I have to say - but it must be done."

"Thus, I have made my decision. In two days, we are sailing to the Island of Tomorrow, and we will fight them."

"What…?"

Hiccup's voice was the first to speak as everyone looked at Stoick almost dumbstruck. Even Valka, his own wife, could not believe what she was hearing. Out of all the vikings, why would he want to go the most?

"Stoick, you can't be serious," she said to him. "You are proposing that we should fight on the orcs' own ground, and alone."

"The Island of Tomorrow does not belong to them. It _never_ has," he stated with a slightly louder tone. "And we will not go alone. We will be bringing one thousand good men with us to fight them."

"That's already too high of a cost dad! Compared to us, they have LEGIONS. We can't beat them if we don't know how many they have! We could be walking into a trap!"

Stoick shook his head. Hiccup and Valka saw well that he was becoming arrogant. "We can defeat this army, and we will! We've defeated hundreds of them over the months, and I say we shouldn't stop now. We should pursue them while we can!"

"Are you out of your mind, chief...?!" replied Arn. "You cannot truly beat them back even if you wanted to. You have not seen the horrors that the orcs and the Dark Legions have with them. I fought them before, for years! Why would you-"

"Silence!" he bellowed. His temper was on the brink of breaking and he nor the others wanted to start a commotion now, yet everyone still did not agree with Stoick's decision.

"Stoick," said Gobber. "You have to think about this, old friend. Is risking the lives of a thousand men really worth saving a cursed island? Is it worth attempting to kill Drago even after all the damage we dealt to him-"

"My mind is made up…"

Valka's eyes grew wider. "Stoick…"

The chief refused to continue arguing over the matter any longer. He did not say another word to them as he walked past the group and made his way towards the large doors of the great hall. Yet as he left the hall, Valka was left baffled and shocked in place.

"Stoick," she said to herself. "Why would you… out of all people-?"

"Jeez, now _that_ sure was something," replied Tuffnut, calmer than usual.

Arn sighed. "He is blinded by revenge towards Drago. But I mean- who wouldn't be in this case? From what I know, Drago nearly wiped out the north as well as your tribe. However, my father Lothar made the same mistake after the orcs lured him and taunted him into walking into a devastating trap of theirs… it costed him his life."

All eyes, particularly from Hiccup and the riders and their dragons, fell upon Arn. "Are you saying my father is also going to be-"

"I'm not saying that," Arn interrupted Hiccup. "What I am saying however is that Stoick sooner or later needs to realize what it is we are actually facing rather than imagine what they are to him. I told you guys enough times what the Legions have with them, but imagining them is different from actually seeing them for what they are. Stoick believes he can win, but he may be underestimating the enemy."

"...The best we can do right now is protect your people, dragons, and chief, especially when the time comes when we attack Drago."

"Let's just hope my dad knows what he is doing," replied Hiccup, now staring at the great doors of the hall. "Otherwise this war may just end before it even begins, with us on the losing side."

…

* * *

"What the Hel is going on out there!? What is with all the commotion!? Dogsbreath, Wartihog, Agatha, I want answers now!"

Snotlout angrily paced back and forth as he heard loud shouts and screams resonate outside the great hall along with the sounds of fighting. He looked at his three most trusted, expecting an answer from them.

Wartihog gave an unnerved shrug. "First thing we knew was that a group of a hundred furious townsfolk approached the front of the great hall, and then next moment they began to riot!"

"A riot!? From my own people!? Those fools!"

It was indeed hard for Snotlout to imagine. He could not believe it. Even after exiling ten of his warriors along with their families to make an example to those who would speak out against him, there were still people who were not happy with him.

He was beginning to pull their strings.

"That's not all that's happened," added on Agatha. "Turns out those fools began the riot because they boasted that they were starving, and then they began beating our guards to a pulp. At least two dozen of them. The situation got too out of hand that we had to call on our armed forces, and as of right now they are handling it - killing any of the folk involved."

Dogsbreath nodded. "Indeed. And it's only a matter of time before they-"

His words were immediately cut off before he could even say much as the doors to the great hall suddenly slammed opened as a captain and two guards carrying two rioting townsfolk came marching in. Bloody, but alive.

Snotlout gazed at the captain questioningly, now noticing that the sounds of conflict ceased. "Report."

"Everything has been handled, chief," replied the captain. "The rioters have withdrawn, and hopefully they will not return."

Snotlout gave a relieved but wicked grin. "Excellent. This failure of a riot will show what happens to those who try to stand against me. You've done well, captain."

"Aye. But of these two rioters, sir?" asked the captain.

"...Take them away. Kill them."

The large viking nodded, lifting a finger as he ordered the guards with him to drag their prisoners outside for a quick yet gruesome execution. As the three warriors made way for the doors of the great hall, Snotlout could hear the two villagers screaming and struggling until the doors to the hall were finally shut behind them.

And then there was the sound of two hacks being lobbed, and everything went silent…

Snotlout grinned, chuckling wickedly. "Some people can really be fools. They do not know what they are doing until they realize who the winning side is. Isn't that right… Hookfang?"

His gaze fell towards the corner of the hall to the right of his throne, where his dragon Hookfang was chained by the neck with dragon-proof chains. From the way he looked however, Snotlout could tell that the Monstrous Nightmare was feeling intimidated and miserable. His state as a whole though was horrible.

Yet he did not care a bit about Hookfang's feelings. He was just to a pet to him.

"_Please… leave me alone…"_ Hookfang warbled fearfully, though since Snotlout did not understand Dragonese he merely shrugged it off.

"Heh, what a muttonhead," he said. "I think I am going to go for a flight. Dogsbreath, Wartihog, Agatha, see that the great hall is in good hands until I return. Anyone else who dares uprise against me is to be immediately killed or exile. Understand?"

The three vikings gave a nod. Snotlout then turned towards Hookfang, slowly making his way towards him as the dragon began to feel dreadful and more tense as he made his way closer.

"_Please, no…" _crooned Hookfang.

Snotlout grinned. "Don't be too bumpy this time, or I'll make your last punishment look like child's play..."


	17. A Song Before Battle

The next morning came by like a flash for Hiccup. The snow had melted, and the sky was once more it's ordinary light blue color with clouds flying overhead, as well as on the horizon.

But the morning itself was not so welcoming.

Though he slept peacefully he felt himself quite tense and nervous for the fight that was soon to come. Every rider, even Arn who fought the orcs and their legions for years, felt it.

However, the blonde-headed viking did not get much sleep himself.

Under the dark of the night he went over to the great hall to further study the spell book Fishlegs found in the Berkian library, and so far he was actually getting somewhere.

Yet it was not enough.

Hiccup found Arn that morning by the runestone as both he and Toothless walked through the busy roads of the town, all while also taking note of the increased amount of guards and warriors that marched around in formation around the village, wearing the green, brown, and red colors of the Berkian Tribe, as well as their furred cloaks and scale mail armor around their legs and kilts.

Stoick was not joking when he was preparing an army. But would it be enough?

Hiccup made his way through the semi-crowded plaza, approaching Arn who glanced at the runestone while still holding the spell book with it's pages opened as he was murmuring to himself.

"Arn?" he called to get his attention.

The lad turned around, noticing both Hiccup and Toothless before giving them a wave. "Good morning, guys! Did you get a good night's sleep? How are you doing with your Dragonese?"

"My Dragonese is improving rather quickly. It's going great. As for my sleep, could have been worse, but it was peaceful."

_"Yeah," _Toothless warbled in agreement. _"I had a dream that I was in a lake full of fish and salmon. Couldn't have imagined if there was an eel in it."_

Arn lightly chuckled. "Was there any part you didn't like about it?"

_"Well yeah, when I woke up."_

Both Hiccup and Arn began to laugh, feeling more cheerful as Toothless looked at them with a semi-glare look. Eventually they both stopped laughing, looking at each other at first with embarrassment before Arn got talking.

"So… what are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you," replied Hiccup. "I noticed that you were awake early this morning… or rather the whole night, out of the hut with that spell book in hand. What exactly are you doing?"

"Well..." began Arn as spun back to look up at the runestone. "I wanted to get more into my research, and after hours of reading last night in the great hall I came here to inspect the runes on the runestone. Tell me, do _these_ runes mean anything to you?"

Arn immediately turned to the first page of the spell book where last time they were greeted with magical fire runes on the back of the front cover. He pointed them out to Hiccup as they brightly glowed, but he merely gave a shrug.

"They're just runes. How would I know?"

"Well here's the thing," replied Arn. "I've been reading these runes closely, trying to figure out what they mean, but it turns out that the first part of this runic word on the back of the cover matches a set of runes on the stone. See?"

Arn pointed his finger up towards the runestone at a set of runes, and Hiccup was quick to spot them as he glanced between the book and the large stone. He was right. They matched.

"Well what does it say? Do you know what it means?" he asked intriguingly.

"I did a bit of reading through the book, and after a bit of looking I found out that these three runes alone make the word _fúre _which apparently means fire or ignite in runic. It must be a spell."

"Hmm… do you think maybe one of us could try casting it?" Hiccup asked jokingly, only for Arn to shake his head with a light laugh. As exciting as spells were, they knew it was best for them not to get ahead of themselves.

_"I recommend against it. You know how dangerous magic can be!"_ replied Toothless as he nudged his head against Hiccup's shoulder. _"Plus, you still have me - remember?"_

"Hah, I'm getting too ahead of myself," nodded Hiccup. "In that case, I think we should just forget about trying to cast spells. There is no way in Thor we could ever learn magic."

"Agreed," replied Arn. "Anyways, I'll continue with my research in hopes of finding answers, and in the meantime I would suggest for you to go see Astrid."

Hiccup curiously rose one of his brows. "Astrid? Why? Has something happened?"

Arn responded with a shrug. "I saw her flying towards the town gates with Valka and the other riders this morning. It looked like something serious was going on. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about it…"

…

* * *

Hiccup's eyes were widened with a surprised and shocked feeling in him. "You have got to be kidding me."

_"There's so many of them this time!"_ warbled Toothless, showing the same face Hiccup gave.

Both of them, along with Astrid, Valka, the riders, and their dragons stood by the opened gates of the town as literally hundreds of people from Clan Jorgenson - men, women, children, and even warriors - slowly swarmed through, tired and hungry.

Toothless, Stormfly, Meatlug, Barf and Belch, and Cloudjumper gazed at them as curious as their riders. What was going on?

_"There's so many of them!" _gargled Barf, as Belch replied in agreement with, _"You know it! Look at them all!"_

Meatlug let out hot air from her nostrils, almost as if she sighed. _"I'm pretty sure Toothless already mentioned that. Question is, why are they all here?"_

_"Hmm… do you guys think they were kicked out like the others from last time?" _squawked Stormfly, glancing at Toothless.

_"Who knows," _he crooned. _"I don't get why Snotlout would kick out this many of his own."_

_"Perhaps he's gone mad,"_ replied Cloudjumper in a murmured warble. _"After all, Snotlout is Snotlout."_

As the dragons continued conversing, the others all the meanwhile had a conversation of their own.

"I have a feeling Snotlout has once again gone too far," said Valka with her arms crossed. "What has he done this time? Astrid?"

"We don't know," shrugged Astrid as she concerningly eyed the many villagers walking through the gates. "I was on patrol with Stormfly, and before we knew it, a guard came by and informed me of this. He told me there's over three hundred of them - ten times the amount of people compared to last time."

"So then _why_ are _they_ here, hm? How do we know they aren't just going to backstab us, hm? Well? HMM?" asked Tuffnut in his usual weird tone, to which his sister shook her head.

"Uhh, maybe we should ask one of them what's going on? Duh?" suggested Ruffnut, pointing a finger towards the crowd.

Astrid sighed as she made her way closer to the crowd, before calling out "hey!" to what appeared to be a former Clan Jorgenson warrior as he was guided out of the long line of people marching into the village.

The warrior gave a sigh as he came eye to eye with Hiccup. "Have I done something wrong, Hiccup?"

"Not at all, warrior," he replied in a friendly manner. "We only want to ask you about Snotlout. The last group of people that came to our village were exiled, but this seems like something bigger... Please. Tell us what happened."

There was a moment of silence as the man weakly looked down at his feet in exhaustion. After what happened, he did not want to remind himself of it - yet he had no choice. Clearly he was as tired as the rest of the folk, yet he also looked a little bit tensed.

"He… he had his loyal warriors beat us to a pulp," the warrior finally spoke. "In the middle of the night he sent two hundred of his best men towards the outer levels of the village where I and all of these people were, and he ordered them to beat the living Helheim out of everyone they could find. And it was not just his people, but as well as US, his own warriors who he believed were plotting against him. So in response we rebelled and stood against his men, but we were outnumbered two to one."

"...We managed to only take out a few dozen of his men, but his loyal warriors slaughtered at least fifty innocent people. Men, women... children even. After that we were dragged one by one outside the great hall until the place was crowded. There, Snotlout publicly announced our exile... This, is what he's done to us."

He gestured with his hands at his terrifically bruised face, and everyone gasped.

Fishlegs especially was stunned. "Oh my gods…"

"Snotlout…" sighed Hiccup, followed by a grunt. "I never knew he would go this far. First he angers my father, threatens our people, tries to kill me and my friends, and now THIS!? Killing his own!?"

"That damn son of a…"

Astrid shook her head in disappointment. "I am sorry," she said to the warrior. "You don't deserve this. None of you deserve this... But we promise you that Snotlout will be taken down."

"I will be glad to see the day when it happens - and I will be with you," the warrior replied. "But now I, and all of these people, stand with you. We are glad to be part of the Berkian Tribe once more."

"It is an honor to welcome you back, warrior," nodded Valka in approval.

The viking gave Valka a salute as he soon made his way off in the other direction away from them, following along with the last of the villagers and warriors as they poured into the town.

Astrid sighed, slowly blinking her eyes as she turned to face back to the others. "What do we do now?"

"Well," said Hiccup. "We may need to consult with Gobber about this. My dad is too busy with war preparations, so for now he's our best bet for helping us."

"Sounds fair enough," replied Astrid.

Fishlegs nodded in agreement. "Hmph."

"In that case you can all go on without me," said Valka as she swiftly mounted on Cloudjumper who stood near her. "I must go check on Stoick and make sure he is not overworking himself. He seems quite... different."

Hiccup nodded. "See you in a bit, mom."

And with that she and Cloudjumper hastily flew off until they could all no longer see her, and as soon as she was out of sight Hiccup turned back to the others and asked them, "So, are we off to Gobber's then?"

...

* * *

"What?! You must be joking! Did he really-?"

"Yup," Hiccup immediately answered Gobber. "Snotlout ordered the most _"loyal_" of his men to beat those people to a pulp. It's clear to me that the Snotlout we all knew is gone."

Hiccup and the group now along with Arn sat around Gobber's long-table with drinks in front of them as they discussed the unpleasant news they were given that day, and oh how angry Gobber was. He was not pleased as his voice bellowed throughout the workshop.

He raged and roared like an infuriated dragon. He yelled like the Gobber the Belch that Hiccup once knew. "THAT DAMNED SNOTFACED SNOTLOUT! A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A VIKING HE WAS! WHY I BOTHERED TRAINING HIM TO FIGHT IN THE PAST WAS BEYOND ME! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM I'M GOING TO SMASH HIS FACE IN WITH HIS OWN HAMMER! I WILL-!"

Gobber immediately cut himself off, realizing he now stood from his chair and was saying too much. Way too much. Everyone stared up at Gobber shocked and tensed. They had never seen him outburst over Snotlout like that before, and the Belch knew he had to take a step back and think.

He gently sat back in his chair. "Err- sorry… I've just never been this angry before. What Snotlout has done is something I never imagined."

"It's clear the Snotlout we knew is gone."

Astrid let out a sigh. "I can't imagine how his dragon Hookfang must be feeling though. He deserves better."

"Aye... but as much as how you lads and lasses want to take care of him, we can't hope to fight him with our eyes gazed towards the orcs," replied Gobber, now speaking with reason as he gave them his input. "Along with that, we do not know how many more people will come into our town as a result of his actions. Until only his loyal warriors and companions remain, we should not move against him. One way or another he will be unable to fight us, and we will finally be able to put down Snotlout for all he has done. His threats will no longer matter. We will be the ones coming for _him."_

"Indeed," Hiccup said in agreement. "But be rest assured guys, Snotlout will be brought to justice after we finish our business on the Island of Tomorrow… if we make it out of course."

"We'll make it out as long as we believe in ourselves, and our victory," said Arn, staring at the mead in his mug. "As long as we stick together, the orcs won't be able to harm us that easily."

"Let's hope it's worth it," giggled Tuffnut. "I've been waiting to bash in more orcs with Macey."

"Your mace? But wasn't it destroyed after you tried shattering those dragon-proof chains? Not to mention they were enchanted with fire magic."

Tuffnut crossed his arms, rolling his eyes at Astrid. "Pfft, fine, I'll use my spear then… if it's good enough against the orcs."

"As long as your weapons and armor can handle it, you should be fine," replied Arn. "Plus, from what I've seen so far, you guys shouldn't have much trouble with them anyways."

Hiccup gave a lip trill as he lifted up his mug. He stared at it for a moment before giving a shrug as he took a rather large drink from it, more than usual.

"Careful with that mead, lad," warned Gobber. "You'll feel smashed if you drink too much."

"Just trying to ease myself, Gobber," said Hiccup. "I don't want to feel intimidated for the battle tomorrow. I need my sanity kept intact, as well as my mind…"

…

* * *

Dusk came quicker than they anticipated. The group and their dragons all sat isolated around a large bonfire in the great hall, unable to get any form of early sleep. They simply sat in their chairs, waiting until they felt like they were ready to fall asleep.

Yet they were all almost completely silent.

None of them spoke or let out a peep. Here and there they let out a cough or sneeze, but that was it. The atmosphere as a whole however felt dreadful, and for a time the entirety of the great hall lacked much noise aside from the blazing flames of the bonfires and braziers.

Until they heard something that sounded like music.

Before the group left Gobber's workshop, the viking offered them his old lute which he had not played in a long time, not since his incidents with the Boneknapper, and the first to call dibs on it was Arn surprisingly.

And it was then that he began to play the lute, surprisingly knowing his notes despite him being a little bit rough. But to the others, it sounded good.

_"What is that?" _gargled Barf and Belch in unison.

_"That's a musical instrument," _lightly crooned Toothless, glancing back at the dragon with a motion of his head as they listened. _"Humans call it a lute, I believe. I listened to them a few times before, and I think they are good. Although Arn isn't too bad, I actually kind of like the way he is playing."_

"I agree with you too, Toothless," chuckled Hiccup.

Once again Hiccup's ability of speaking Dragonese caught the attention of the others, especially Astrid's as she asked, "What did he say?"

"He said he likes the sound of lutes, as well as Arn's playing."

"Pfft, _just_ playing a lute? Now that's not enough," replied Ruffnut as she leaned back in her chair. "I wanna hear some real music. I think Arn should sing."

"S- Sing?" stuttered Arn, now seeing as how everyone was in agreement with Ruffnut's idea.

"Yeah!" said Astrid cheerfully. "Why don't you? Some playing and singing could really improve this atmosphere."

Arn shook his head in denial. "But I haven't sung in a long while. How do you even know if it will sound good?"

"Just give it your best shot," nodded Hiccup with a grin now on his face. "If anything, you'd do better than Astrid. She can't sing at all."

"Hey!"

Arn let out a light chuckle at Astrid's reaction, but sighed as he laid his eyes back on the lute. He then bobbed his head in a nod, now willing to take it.

"Alright," he said. "Here goes nothing…"

Slowly but surely he began to tap his foot in a rhythm, making a beat as he began strumming on the strings of the lute. The melody sounded peaceful and harmonic…

And then, he begun to sing, rather quite pleasantly.

_"The nights are young, the days are long, the stars glow blue tonight."_

_"Where one will fall, another will rise, yet both still bring their light..."_

_"Far-away over mountains… over rivers and valleys, through lands of bright."_

_"Vikings explore riding dragons of old, over the highest heights…"_

_"...Before life the Allfather knew his world would bloom,"_

_"From war comes peace, from those of whom-"_

_"Found stars in lakes with crystal runes,"_

_"Where warriors would wake from their sleeping tombs…"_

_"Yet as Odin looked down he quickly saw,"_

_"The world he made - from magic raw,"_

_"Midgard was born, we came to be,"_

_"For it was Odin who woke us and made us free…"_

* * *

**When writing the last scene of this chapter I had a bit of an Aragorn feeling since in the Lord of the Rings both in the books and movies, he tended to sing, so you guys can see where I am kind of drawing a parallel with Arn in that scene. Of course, just use your imagination for how it sounds. I can guarantee there will be more scenes like this later on... with other characters!**

**Next chapter, the battle for the Island of Tomorrow begins.**

**But until then,**

**To be continued...**


	18. The Battle for Tomorrow - Part 1

**Apologies for the wait guys! This chapter required quite a lot of planning and decision making on my end, so I had quite the time making it. However, here we are now! The Battle for the Island of Tomorrow!**

**And so, I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

They all said their goodbyes that morning as the last of the men boarded their longships; fifty ships in total for a thousand men. Stoick appointed Eret to stay behind to guard the town until his return, which the hunter gladly obliged to.

The day had come for the chief's plan of attack on the orcs and the Dark Legions, and it was time to set it in motion.

Yet there was a sense of unease in the air. Hours had passed since departure, and everyone was eager but also dreadful to lay eyes upon their ancestral island. The Island of Tomorrow.

Hiccup felt the same as he flew atop Toothless. On his right and left flanks, Astrid, Fishlegs, the Twins, his parents, and Gobber accompanied them on their dragons while down below sailed the fleet of a thousand brave viking warriors.

Arn on the other hand rode along with Hiccup; both of whom were gazing through the dense clouds for sight of the island, yet after two hours of flight, everyone began to notice the clouds around them growing darker, and soon, green lightning began to strike the skies with the boom of thunder, which only meant one thing.

They were getting close.

Hiccup looked back at everyone with a nod, almost as if he wished them good luck.

"Alright, gang!" Hiccup called out to his friends. "Remember the plan. Stick together, and we will be fine! As long as we work as one, we will not break! We will hit them with everything we've got and carve our way to Drago!"

"And then we will take him out," added on Arn, still gazing through the clouds with his hair blowing against the violent wind.

"Heh! The more orcs we kill, the better!" laughed Ruffnut.

"Let's get ready, then!" nodded Astrid. "I have a feeling the island is not far!"

The group once again returned to silence, continuing their flight through the clouds with focused attention. Yet as they continued going further and further, the green lightning above them began to intensify, along with the sound of the thunder booming and crackling…

...And then they were struck.

"WATCH OUT!" yelled out Hiccup.

Without warning, multiple bolts of grren lightning struck down upon the riders and their dragons from above, with devastating speed and impact. Though they all managed to dodge them, they still kept coming.

"Dad, look out!" Hiccup shouted to his father, causing Stoick and Skullcrusher to hurtle out of the way of an oncoming lightning bolt that was but a mere few feet from hitting him.

But then the large viking then shouted out in warning, "HICCUP!"

The next one was aimed right for Hiccup, but like his father, both he and Toothless managed to dodge the bolt before it could strike.

After about several rounds of lightning, the chaotic storm soon came to a halt, continuing to crackle the skies up above them. But by this point, everyone began to feel extremely tensed up.

Hiccup sighed exhaustedly from the evasive maneuvering. "Is everyone alright?"

"We're alright, son," replied back Valka. "But that storm… whatever it was, it was not natural! It's as if they knew we were coming!"

Stoick's face went grim as he tightened the grip on his reins. "If they knew we were coming, that can only mean danger for all of us! Everyone keep your eyes peeled! If you see anything out of the ordinary make sure to-!"

Before the chief could finish, he immediately heard the sounding of war horns down below towards the fleet as the many crews began running around on the decks of their ships, preparing themselves, arming themselves. Though the group was unsure why, it was not until the clouds in front of them cleared up that they saw what their men were seeing.

"What in Odin's name?!" gasped Hiccup.

The Island of Tomorrow was finally revealed before their eyes, but the sight of it was truly horrifying. All Hiccup could see from where he flew were the effects of what the orcs and their foul chaos magic had done to the large island, spreading out for miles.

The entire island was dead...

Its rocky cliffs were as black as obsidian - cracking with tremors of green fire, and its soil was rough, dark, and barrened without any plains of grass or forests of trees growing. Nothing on the island remained living. All wildlife had died, for not a single leaf or meadow remained...

However, what shook Hiccup the most were the island's rivers, for they no longer ran with luscious blue water, but with molten green lava that spewed and flowed throughout the island like the veins of a man.

It was a hell on earth...

After having a gaze of the island, Hiccup's eyes soon began wandering to where a large number orcs had set up their defenses.

In the distance was a large long beach with multitudes of orcs waiting for them, armed to the teeth along with a dozen fortified watch towers lined across it. But that was just the beginning.

Beyond the beach and over a long hill was a large valley, and within the valley stood a large orcish city, fortified to the brim with enough structures to shelter an army of thousands, for it was a literal city of war. However, at the end of the valley, at the top of a hill overlooking it, was a large fortress of blackened wood and metal, which towered high up above the island, with green-lit braziers emanating it from top to bottom.

Atop its pinnacle, the clouds were at their darkest as chaotic lightning struck and danced over the tall fortress. A true place of evil.

"What the Thor is that thing in the distance!?" called out Astrid, pointing out the fortress.

"That's no doubt their stronghold. Most likely where Drago is hiding! If we bust it down, we'll be able to get him out of hiding!" replied Hiccup.

"Then let's hope he's still there!" said Stoick, unsheathing his axe from the side of his waist. "ALL FORCES, MAKE WAY TO THE BEACH! LET'S SHOW THESE ORCS WHAT A VIKING AND THEIR DRAGONS CAN DO!"

...

* * *

The initial assault on the beach was met with heavy resistance. As the longships landed on the shore, scores of vikings rushed off them and lined up in front of the orc army that stood before them. Though the orcs were equal in number to them, the vikings of Berk felt more prepared to take them on.

What the enemy did not anticipate were the catapults that were stationed on a dozen of the Berkian longships. Soon, they began firing against the lines of orcs, hurling flaming boulders into their ranks as they slowly thinned them out.

And not even the orcs' towers could reach them.

The commander of the orcish force, a large orc, kicked the orcs into line and made them hold their positions as he spouted out orders.

"Hold your ground, maggots! They cannot break us!"

Whilst this was going on, Hiccup, Stoick and the rest of the group landed down to meet with their forces. Their dragons dropped down at the very front of their ranks, and the riders swiftly dismounted from their dragons with their weapons unsheathed.

"Looks like our forces made it onto shore unscratched," said Astrid, amused so far with their progress. "We may yet just be able to win this."

"This battle has only begun," replied Hiccup. "And our only way forward is through that line of orcs... Dad, what are your orders?"

"...Run them down, and smash them aside," smirked Stoick as he stepped forward into view of his entire army.

"There's only one way forward, men! If we are to get through them, we must cut them down! And that is exactly what we'll do! CATAPULTS! CEASE FIRE! ALL FORCES! CHARGE!"

Immediately the catapults held their fire, and just like that in the blink of an eye - the whole viking army roared as they moved forward with their chief at the front, along with Hiccup, the group, and their dragons.

Though the distance was somewhat an effort, Toothless and the other dragons took this opportunity to begin hurling fire into the orcs, whose lines were already weakened from the catapults' volleys.

Toothless, Skullcrusher, Meatlug, and Grump shot first, seeing as their attacks were the heaviest - and altogether they were able to take out nearly fifty orcs. Stormfly, Cloudjumper, and Barf and Belch then fired next, seeing as they were now more closer to the orcs, taking out a few dozen more and causing fire to be set to their lines.

The orcs, though prepared, were not prepared _enough_ for such a heavy attack. The damage from the vikings began to filled their ranks with dread, and now their center was weakened. As such, the line slowly began to fall into disarray…

And it was then that the vikings clashed...

The whole army roared in unison they raised their weapons, and with great impact, the front line of the Berkian forces met with their weapons against the orcs, taking out yet another great amount of them upon impact.

Soon, the whole orcish line was thrown into disorder, and as such, both forces no longer fought grouped up and began spreading out across the whole beach.

Despite the vikings' advantage of numbers however, the orcs were still larger and stronger than them, and as the fighting across the beach began, everything began to quickly escalate.

Hiccup, Astrid, Arn, Fishlegs, and the Twins stuck together as they fought, working as one whilst the dragons covered their backs, further bringing havoc upon the enemy.

But even the effort that the young vikings gave counted as something.

For Hiccup, the lad focused on getting as many orcs onto him as possible. They knew well that he was the son of the chieftain, so their attention would be mostly on him and his friends. Once they got close, Hiccup used his advanced set of skills and speed against them since the orcs were stronger - and somewhat slower, so he had to think smarter.

When one orc would rush him, Hiccup would with ease parry or dodge out of the way of the incoming attack and swiftly strike back at where the brute was vulnerable. Being so used to how they fought allowed him to coordinate easily, and one by one the orcs who approached Hiccup fell beneath his feet.

Not even their armor could protect them from his attacks. With the combination of enhanced Gronckle iron as well as the hot flames from Inferno, his blade cut through the orcs' black plate armor like a simple dagger going through flesh.

All the while he fought however, he could hear the orc commander shouting out taunts to them as the large brute crushed any viking who was unfortunate to get in his way.

"You march to your death, vikings! Nothing can stop the Dark Legions! Not even your dragons!"

Despite his taunts, Hiccup laughed it off like nothing and continued fighting.

Some similar strategies applied for Fishlegs and the Twins. For Ruffnut and Tuffnut, they both worked together as one duo against the orcs. Though they did not have as good fighting skills as the others did, what they made up in their lack of it were creative tactics.

At one point Tuffnut approached an occupied orc from behind, tapping on his shoulder to get his attention to which the orc turned around and saw the young viking waving his arms around.

"Hey you, you piece of lard!" he taunted, pointing his spear at the orc. "Come and get me! Fight me like a man- or an… orc- or an… orc-man! Yeah! That's what you are! A lard orc-man!"

Immediately the orc responded by raising up his axe to cleave Tuffnut in two, but before he could, a large mace from behind wielded by Ruffnut smashed down on top of the orc's head, shattering his skull like a twig as he immediately dropped to the ground, dead.

The Twins approached each other with a fist bump along with wicked-like snickers.

"Ten for ten!" they both replied in unison.

Fishlegs meanwhile was rolling through the orcs like a boulder, just as Meatlug would. He was still not pleased with what they had done to his hut from the last raid, and now it was his chance to get even. He was not only swift, but also strong. Very strong.

As an orc attempted to rush the raging Ingerman, Fishlegs rose his shield up and immediately bashed the brute in the face, halting his charge in an instant before slamming his hammer into the orc's armored chest plate over and over to the point where he ripped through and began hammering him to death, breaking bone after bone.

"THAT'S FOR WHAT YOU DID TO BERK, AND MY HUT, MONSTER!" he roared as the orc laid broken before he moved onto another.

As for Arn and Astrid, both vikings - of whom were Hiccup's greatest warriors, were handling the forefront with the heir of Berk at their side like warriors. Whenever an orc or two would rush towards them, the two of them would outmaneuver the brutes to quickly cut them down, and at times they would catch a distracted orc's attention before proceeding to butcher them. With the two vikings aided by Hiccup, they cut up orcs as if the brutes themselves were running towards a meat grinder.

The orcs however were not so pleased when they laid eyes on Arn. They recognized him for who he was, and had the instinct to butcher him to bits. After all, his tribe the Alsworn were the first to have fought the orcs with resistance, thus making the tribe an arch nemesis.

Still, the three altogether were slaying orc after orc after orc. Their skill and speed combined was beginning to make the orcs waver as their numbers dropped, but soon distant arrow fire flew over them and began hitting their troops.

Hiccup looked around, and saw that the orcs had manned the war towers as they began to set loose arrows onto their forces, which seemed to work effectively for them.

His head turned to the riders. "We won't be able to win this assault with those archers shooting from the towers! Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff, mount your dragons and take them out!"

"Gladly!" the Twins replied in unison.

"I can only hope this works!" prayed Fishlegs.

The three vikings swiftly ran over to their dragons who were in the midst of fighting, mounting them before flying off towards the war towers that were still firing volleys of arrows onto them.

What followed was a havoc of a firestorm. Though the towers were well built with thick walls of wood as well as large metal spikes which would impale any dragon that came close and crashing, the enemy stood no chance behind them.

Meatlug with just one explosive spewing lava blast towards the tops of the towers was able to set them aflame in an instant, and Barf and Belch with their walls of fire blew the war structures to pieces.

The orcs simply stood no chance.

As Hiccup was eyeing this, he nearly did not notice a group of several orcs who were roaring and charging him, but as soon as he realized what was going he was unable to strike back. The large brutes were set on fire almost immediately as Toothless fired a plasma blast towards them, sending them flying off into flames.

And it was not even a moment later that the combined forces of the Berkian Tribe were cheering as they held their weapons up. It seemed that the assault was already won, but their losses were considerable as they had lost at least a hundred.

But the battle was far from over. As the riders rallied up with Stoick and the others, the chieftain gave a grim look as he glanced back at them with uncertainty.

"This was too easy…" he said, looking towards the hill leading up and over into the distant valley. "Their commander was easily slain by a few of our men, and their towers and fortifications were all destroyed like _that_ by our dragons… what is going on here?"

"The orcs have something planned up their sleeves, I'm sure of it," replied Arn, gazing at the littered battlefield which was filled drastically with more dead orcs than their own. "Yet I have a feeling that they've done something like this before."

"There is only one way to find out," spoke Hiccup. "We must go over the hill and take the fight to them. Dad?"

"Aye, agreed," he nodded as he turned to all of the Berkians whose gazes were locked onto him. "EVERYONE, RALLY UP AND FOLLOW ME! Let's continue this fight against them!"

The army of vikings quickly grouped up, with Stoick and the others along with their dragons at the front of their forces as they jogged their way in a line up the hill leading into the valley.

All while they ran however, Hiccup and Astrid had a few things to say.

"I'm surprised though," began Astrid. "I've never seen the orcs expand and fortify this quickly. They may have not been _that_ prepared, but this is more than what a usual attack from them would be. They managed to take out a decent amount of our men."

"You're right…" agreed Hiccup with a look of concern blazing in his eyes. "Something has changed. These orcs aren't the same ones we've fought before. They are more organized, and slightly stronger. But how?"

_"Well they definitely have something planned," _growled Toothless in Dragonese. _"I can sense something on the other side of that hill, and I have a feeling it won't be good."_

And Toothless was right. As soon as the group and their dragons reached the top of the hill, Stoick ordered a total halt as he and those around him earned a closer view of the city that the orcs had built in the valley.

Their structures were well built; made from blackened stone. A large stronghold stood in the center of the city, along with towers, foul workshops, forges of war, and many more structures surrounding it.

But the fortress at the end of the valley, which towered over all, was the true chaotic jewel of the city.

Despite that however, the amount of orcs there were was not to be ignored. The Berkians slew over a thousand, and now there were thousands more spread throughout the large city, ready for a battle from the vikings.

"By the gods…" gasped Valka, tightening the grip on her staff.

Stoick looked petrified. "This can't be. There are so many of them!"

"...We can't give up now," spoke Hiccup, his voice filled with confidence. "We took out a thousand of them on our own, we will kill thousands more! We should take this opportunity while we have the chance."

"Agreed!" nodded Arn. "As long as the orcs are alone and without aid from the rest of the Dark Legions' allies, we still stand a chance."

"So be it then!" replied Stoick. "We will push them back again! EVERYONE, CHARGE FORWARD! CUT DOWN ANY ORC YOU SEE!"

...

* * *

The vikings were met with a heavy assault upon attacking the entrance of the orcish city.

As they charged through the gates, multitudes of orcs swarmed in around them from nearly all directions, scattering much of their army.

Yet despite the disadvantage, the vikings of Berk still stood and held strong, giving the orcs a tough fight like they had from the previous assault.

As for Hiccup and the group, they and their dragons were able to slip their way past the main fight and make their way deeper into the city, which meant that they were able to take the fight to the orcs in an unexpected maneuver, all while the brutes focused the bulk of their strength on the gates.

The six of them, along with their dragons, stood at a crossroad further away from where the main fight was, and all around them, the corpses of orcs laid dead at their feet by the dozens, along with a burning tower that stood nearby.

Astrid let out a grunt. "They just keep on coming," she said irritatedly. "I don't even know where we're supposed to go from here! We can't stay here..."

"And the orcs could jump us at anytime," added on Fishlegs.

"That should've been obvious to you the moment we stepped into this city," replied Arn. "The orcs are more organized here, and there is danger around every corner. If we're to make it through, we must stick together. The sooner we get through this vile place, the better."

"Well, you know how the orcs strategize better than any of us," nodded Hiccup, just as the blonde lad began running ahead of them.

"Everyone follow Arn!"

Without question, the group began to follow Arn through the city, and along the way, the dragons focused on destroying as much of it as they could as they began setting fire to the orcish structures, burning them from the inside-out.

On occasion, an orc or two would lunge out at the vikings from a tower in an attempt to take them out, but their strength alone would not be enough. Hiccup and the others were simply too fast, and they quickly cut down the orcs like knives through butter.

Together with their dragons, they were a meat grinder. With most of the attention of the orcs fixed on their main gates, it seemed their plan was being put to good use.

However, after a while of going through the city, the group eventually reached an opening with a small chasm, filled with green molten lava. Across it, the fortress stood, towering over.

"We're close already?" asked Fishlegs as he eyed the large structure in the distance, whilst also noticing the green lightning that violently flashed over them, followed by the booming of thunder.

"That seemed quick," said Hiccup, curious as to how they were able to progress so swiftly. "First the orcs lose the initial assault on the beach, then we were able to easily slip by them and set fire to their city, and now this? We're already close to their fortress."

"But why has this been so easy?" asked Astrid, looking around in concern. "Surely there would've been some sort of a real challenge by now. Yet even with their great numbers, we're still holding out."

_"That is because you have not seen the true might of the Dark Legions. You have seen NOTHING!"_

Everyone suddenly looked around to the sound of the voice. It definitely was not one of theirs, but Hiccup after hearing it felt shocked. Not only did he recognize it, but it was the voice of someone he thought dead.

And it was then that everyone's eyes turned to a cliff off to their left overlooking the chasm, and there they saw _him._

The first thing immediately notable about him was who he was. He was no orc, but rather a human. Someone who was as tall and large as Stoick, who on his own was towering. The armor he wore was not plate, but rather a tough black leather. Along with that, he bore a black tattered cloak of dragon skin that fell over his left side, all whilst his right exposed the orcish-made bullhook that he held.

Then there were his eyes... They glowed with the same green evil magic that the orcs wielded, and that alone, along with his face, was enough to tell Hiccup who the figure was.

Drago Bludvist stood before them.

The warlord looked down at the group, smirking with a wicked grin. "Look at you all. Standing in defiance of the inevitable end of your world. The Dark Legions have conquered so much and have waged constant war in the north, yet here you are - standing and playing hero like the arrogant and ignorant Berkians you are."

"Drago!" grunted Fishlegs, tightening the grip on his hammer.

"So you really are alive!" spat Astrid. "You will pay for what you have done to us, and to so many others!"

In his anger, Hiccup stepped forward, facing eye to eye with Drago. "You can't beat us, Drago! Look behind us! Your city burns, and your forces are being beaten down! Odin stands with us on this day!"

"Odin..?" laughed Drago, almost to the point of cackling as his green eyes glowed violently. "Stupid boy! You stand before the bastion of a GOD! A being who nearly swallowed this world in chaos fire over a thousand years ago! Your Allfather cannot help you here!"

"...And as for those orcs, their… distraction was necessary for this plan of mine to work. More of them will soon come, but I must thank you for your well timing! I have you right where I want you!"

"What!?" gasped Astrid with her brows lowered.

"A distraction!?" spoke Hiccup. "Oh Thor- it's a trap!"

"Right you are!" cackled Drago.

And it was then that the warlord made his move as he lifted his bullhook into the air, and like so, the tip of his weapon, as well as his eyes, began to violently glow green with chaos energy as his gaze was focused up towards the sky, almost as if he was trying to call something down.

"See now the powers that my master has granted me!" laughed Drago.

Hiccup and the others looked up as they saw right above them out of shock a crackling rift of chaos energies open up, and from it, a large green ball of fire and rock came flying out of it, aimed directly towards them...


	19. The Battle for Tomorrow - Part 2, Ruin

**Welcome back, everyone! Now before beginning, I would like to give a warning that this chapter will have a major cliffhanger, and as well as a character death. Unfortunately, it had to come sooner or later, and now it is here.**

**Still, I hope you guys enjoy this one. You may be left somewhat surprised by the end of this.**

* * *

"GET BACK!"

Hiccup immediately yelled out to the others as soon as they saw the incoming ball of rock and fire falling towards them, and the group and their dragons swiftly ran back as fast as they could before it could hit them.

To their luck, the vikings all managed to get out of range from the exploding impact, and surprisingly, all that the meteorite managed to make was a dent in the ground as it shattered to pieces.

Along with that, the explosion was not as large as Hiccup anticipated.

He looked up with a mocking smirk at Drago, who still stood atop the cliff. "Is that all you've got!? I expected more!"

Drago merely laughed at the lad, not buying his taunt. "You fool! The fight is only beginning," he replied as his head then turned to where the flaming boulder fell. "Rise up, minion! Rise up, and deal with these pathetic mortals!"

And that was when the realization really hit them.

The rocks from the shattered meteorite quickly levitated into the air and began to form together into a large, rocky, round, and hulking figure. The amalgamation's eyes, mouth, and hands glowed green with chaos fire as it's rocky body began to crack with the same foul magic.

If anything, it was larger than a troll, and appeared more dangerous.

"What the Hel is that…" said Ruffnut.

Drago once again laughed in amusement. "Impressive, isn't it? It is a golem summoned from beyond Midgard's skies, infused with chaos magic! This is but a small example of the Dark Master's might, and when he returns to this world, I will bask in his power!"

"...But alas, I have more work to do. Now, destroy them, minion!"

With a slam of his bullhook, Drago teleported away in a burst of chaos fire, leaving the large golem to deal with Hiccup and his allies.

The amalgamation rose it's arms up, and with a crash it slammed it's green fiery hands into the ground, roaring fiercely at the group.

"Everyone back up!" ordered Hiccup. "We can't take that thing on! Let our dragons handle it!"

"Are you sure?" asked Arn, holding his sword out defensively. "We could just mount up and blast this thing to bits from the air!"

Astrid shook her head. "No! We might risk ourselves by getting smacked down by it, and if we fly too high, the orcs might notice us and turn their attention away from Stoick!"

"If you say so…" nodded Arn. "What are we waiting for? Let's destroy it!"

The riders all hastily ran to their dragons' sides, and in unison, they yelled out in command for their dragons to attack as the golem swiftly began to advance on them.

"Plasma blast, bud!"

"Stormfly, spine shot!"

"Spew!"

"Gas- Spark!"

In a combined effort, the four dragons fired their flaming attacks at the golem, directly towards it's chest, and just like so, the golem bursted into a dozen bits as the attacks caused an explosion of mixed flames, both purple and orange.

They cheered as the golem fell to bits… but their celebration was short lived.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, chaos magic swirled around the fallen rocks as they rose back into the air and put themselves back together, reforming the large golem.

Fishlegs gasped. "What the- why didn't it work!?"

"I- I don't know," stuttered Hiccup, eyeing the amalgamation as it slowly advanced on them. "The magic holding it together must be protected. Our dragons can't break it!"

"Uhh, if we can't break it, WHAT DO WE DO THEN?!" yelled Ruffnut impatiently.

"Stay calm! We'll take it on like we did last time with the troll and figure out its weakness! As long as we-"

"LOOK OUT, HICCUP!"

Astrid's voice called out to him, and as Hiccup turned his head he saw that the golem was directly on top of him and about to bring its rocky and green fiery hands down. It would have been too late for him were it not for Toothless.

The Night Fury rammed his head into Hiccup, pushing him back as they both rushed swiftly out of the way of the golem's attack, causing it to miss, and at the same time, the rest of the group separated.

Hiccup looked back at Toothless with a nod. "Thanks, bud!"

_"You can thank me later,"_ Toothless growled in Dragonese, glaring down the golem. _"We have a fight to- gragh!"_

The last word to Hiccup came out unclear, mayhaps because of his focus on the battle. Regardless of it, Hiccup had to keep up with the fight.

Knowing well that only their dragons could deal _some_ form of damage - at the very least slow it down, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, the Twins, and Arn focused on distracting it, knowing that the golem viewed them more of a vulnerable target than their dragons. As such, Toothless, Stormfly, Meatlug, and Barf and Belch gave it all they had.

But the golem merely continued reforming any chunks that were blasted off back together. The situation as a whole seemed dire.

Hiccup and Astrid at one point even tried to strike at the legs of the golem, but their weapons did not even make a dent in it. As a matter of fact, their strikes dented their _own_ weapons and caused small shards of metal to fly off them.

"Guys," said Arn. "I wouldn't do that if I were you-"

But the worse came to Hiccup as he attempted to strike again, but not before hearing the sound of a metallic_ CRACK_ as Inferno was broken into two. Hiccup in response gave a sighed growl in anger and frustration.

"Why did I even do that…?" he asked himself irritatedly.

It seemed they truly were useless against the golem.

The Twins also both tried striking their weapons repeatedly against the golem, but they only ended up with the same result as Hiccup and Astrid… with their weapons becoming way more banged up however.

Fishlegs, who was quite strong as he already was, bashed his shield into the golem's leg to try and attract it's attention. The distraction worked, but his shield shattered into pieces of wood and splinters.

"Uh oh."

He looked up at the golem who looked right back down at him, and he immediately ran off in the other direction screaming loudly, "HELP!"

Meatlug reacted in time as the golem was ready to chase after Fishlegs. From her large mouth she spewed out a lava blast, blasting it directly at the golem's chest and knocking it off balance.

The amalgamation for a moment fell down on its back, but then stood back up and quickly continued the fight. With every attack it made with it's fists upon impact, chaos fire bursted out of them like a geyser.

As a whole, the fight was looking hopeless.

Amidst the chaos however, an idea started forming at the top of Arn's mind as he ran around trying to figure out the weakness of the golem. He remembered back to something that he read from the spellbook which he told Hiccup about...

"Hiccup!" he suddenly called out, catching the attention of the young viking who was busy being chased by the large amalgamation, all while dodging it's attacks.

"Not now, Arn! I'm a... bit busy right now!" he replied.

"As busy as you are, I think I figured out a weakness for the golem!"

Hiccup's gaze caught onto Arn. His attention diverted onto him as soon as Toothless was able to catch the golem's attention, and soon it began chasing the extremely swift dragon around in circles.

"Alright… what is your plan?" he breathily asked Arn as he approached him exhaustedly.

Arn spoke hastily, all while still eyeing the golem. "From what I've seen so far, it has come to me that our regular attacks cannot destroy the magics holding the golem together, no matter what we do. So unless we fight fire with fire, we can't hope to beat it."

"...So what are you suggesting? That we use magic to destroy it and-?"

His words came to a stop as he splurted out the answer. It suddenly occurred to Hiccup what the weakness of the golem was. Magic. For a moment, Arn's idea took ahold of him. Could it really work?

"...You can't be serious," he suddenly spoke. "None of us here know magic! We can't use it!"

"Not unless we try," replied Arn. "Remember the runic word I told you about which means to _light aflame?"_

_"Fúre,"_ he replied, to which Arn nodded.

"If you think none of us can use magic, then why don't you give it a try? From what I've seen of you so far, you have more potential than any viking I've met here. You told me you were able to communicate with a runestone! You learned how to speak Dragonese faster than anyone I've seen before! What further proof do you need? I say you should at least try! Lift your hands out and-"

"ARN, IT'S HEADED YOUR WAY!" called out Fishlegs.

The young viking had no time to finish as he swiftly ran off with the golem chasing after him in tow. Something had to be done now.

"HURRY UP HICCUP! DO IT!" called out Arn.

"What!?" he answered back. "But what am I supposed to do first!? How am I-"

"JUST DO IT!"

There was little choice by this point. Hiccup sighed as he stood still in place, tightening his hands into fists and pinning his feet to the ground. One way or another, he had to find out.

Hiccup closed his eyes, imagining himself being surrounded by the same flames he saw in his vision back on Berk. The only thing he could describe the fire he saw... was anger. Pure anger that burned like a raging inferno, like that of a meteor hitting Midgard from Muspelheim, or even the same flames that the Allfather, Odin, summoned up from his spear Gungir as it burned evil to ashes. Either way, one thing led to another as Hiccup began moving his hands in quick circles…

...And then it happened.

Hiccup felt his hands heat up as fire began to manifest. As he opened up his eyes to look, flames burned brightly and deeply within his irises as they began glowing more violently by the second. The spark became a candle, and then the candle became a raging fire, and the raging fire an inferno.

The tide was about to be turn. He knew this. Both his hands and eyes were now glowing brightly with fire magic.

All eyes, especially Astrid's, were locked onto the lad as she exclaimed in shock, "What in the name of Odin!?"

Even the golem, for only a mere moment, became distracted by the glowing flames that formed in Hiccup's hands, but that did not stop it from charging at the lad with a bellowing roar, which caused the ground to shake beneath everyone's feet.

Seeing it finally charge, Hiccup immediately raised out both of his hands towards the raging monster, and shouted angrily in runic, _"FÚRE!"_

Suddenly, the flames in his hands quickly combined into a magical ball of fire as it swiftly hurled itself at the golem, and in a devastating strike, the spell blew the amalgamation into bits, overpowering the chaos magic that held it together as it finally sundered apart.

And with that, the remains of the golem fell to the ground, crumbled and broken. But at the same time everyone was left jaw-dropped. How was this possible?

The flames died out in Hiccup's hands as he swiftly tightened them into fists, though the spell as a whole had left him feeling weakened. Looking back at the others however, he was uncertain what to say. After all, it should have been impossible.

"Hiccup," said Fishlegs. "Are you…?"

"I don't know how it was possible," he immediately replied. "We'll talk about it later, but I want you guys to tell _nobody_ about this. For now we need to find a way for our forces to cross. From what I can see, they're rallying towards us."

Looking back at the burning city, the army of vikings, though down to seven hundred, was able to smash aside the orcs' bulwark, and as such, they were now advancing towards the group's location.

"Hmm… why don't we just use the dragons to blast that cliff-wall down?" asked Ruffnut, pointing at the cliff off to their left.

"Nonono!" interrupted Tuffnut. "How about, we use the dragons to blast that cliff-wall down."

Hiccup smirked, nearly chuckling. "Well, I knew sooner or later you guys would come in handy. Ruff, Tuff, I'll leave the honors to you and your dragon."

"Now let's get this over with…"

…

* * *

With a few attempts and a few blasts, the side of the cliff which Drago previously stood upon came crashing down, creating a bridge of boulders and rocks for them to cross which proved to be effective enough for the Berkian troops passing over it.

And soon enough, after all of the vikings had marched over the chasm, they finally stood before the front of the fortress. It's size was indeed intimidating, yet it's defenses were oddly unmanned.

Hiccup looked around him, minding where they stood as the area was enough for a large army to stand upon.

On both flanks, black rocky cliffs overlooked where they stood, while above them the cloudy skies were at their darkest as green lightning struck and crackled, giving off an uneasy feeling to the men. The only thing that kept them together was their chief who stood at the front of the army with the others.

And yet Stoick felt no dread. Rather he smelt what he assumed was their victory.

Looking to his right and left, he gave the group a nod as they all stepped forward with their dragons away from the ranks of their warriors. It was finally time to confront Drago Bludvist.

"We're ready, dad," said Hiccup.

Stoick, without making another move, called out for the wicked warlord.

"BLUDVIST!" he bellowed. "YOUR REIGN, IS OVER! COME OUT OF YOUR FORTRESS, AND SURRENDER THE ISLAND OF TOMORROW! THERE IS NOWHERE TO HIDE FROM THE MIGHT OF BERK!"

A moment of silence followed as the ranks of vikings behind them looked towards the black metal gates of the fortress in anticipation, wondering if Drago would truly come out.

But then the gates began to creak, slowly grinding and opening until the figure of a large corrupted viking warlord with glowing green eyes came into view.

Drago walked forward towards the vikings that stood before him in what they assumed was their valiant victory, yet they did not know what the warlord was up to.

It took him a bit, but soon Drago stopped more than a dozen yards away from Stoick and the others, and gave a grin.

"My reign, over?" he chuckled. "Me, surrender to you? Foolish old man, you have no idea the forces you are competing with. I have no doubt that your son enjoyed facing off against my golem?"

Stoick rose a brow. "A what?"

"A golem," replied Hiccup. "A monster made out rocks and boulders. Drago summoned it himself... He knows how to use magic, which makes things worse."

Drago once again chuckled. "Heh, and they say your boy is the smart one," he said sarcastically. "My powers go far beyond what anyone could ever hope to wield. My very body and soul courses with chaos. Still, now you know that I am alive, and that I am stronger than ever; all because of the master's power."

"But how?" asked Hiccup, taking a few steps forward. "You shouldn't even be alive! I saw you die. WE saw you die. You drowned!"

"Hmph, but I didn't," the warlord smirked. "When my pet Bewilderbeast betrayed me and swam off, I felt my final seconds approaching... but then a dark voice whispered to me, and soon I found myself not drowning, but before the throne and prison of a god. He showed me the end of your world. He showed me that he was a god unlike even your foolish Allfather and his pantheon… he showed me my future, where I would rule this world by his side once we have destroyed it of your filth. And thus, without much consideration, I took his offer of power and rose to become his right hand. The right hand of the Dark Master of this world..."

"I mean, why command thousands of mindless dragons and inferior vikings, when you can command legions that fight without question? My dream of ruling Midgard will soon become a reality."

Hiccup could not believe what he was hearing. Drago had given up his freedom in exchange for power, yet he gladly accepted it and took his place as the right hand of a so called dark god? He truly was insane...

No longer did he want to just conquer Midgard, for he now wanted to destroy it as well.

"You'll never be able to destroy Midgard, Drago," responded Hiccup. "What you and this Dark Master are trying to do goes against the prophecy of Ragnarok! You can't-"

"Bah! Like Surtr would ever be able to make Ragnarok! He is no god. He just a giant wasting his time with a blunt sword."

"If anyone is wasting their time, it is you," spoke Arn, joining in. "I have fought the orcs and the Dark Legions for years, and although I don't know who your Dark Master is, I can tell you that he won't be happy once we meet him and-"

"Say what you want, boy," laughed Drago. "Your Alsworn are nothing, nor its allies! Even with this pathetic tribe at your side, you're useless without the Wings of Midgard. They may have defeated my master in the past, but they cannot help you now. Know this, and know this well; your Wings of Midgard are dead! They have been dead for a thousand years!"

The dread quickly began to kick in, especially for Arn, who had sailed south and made much of an effort to find the Wings of Midgard. Were his efforts all for not? In that moment, the blonde viking felt his heart rapidly beating. This could not be true.

Drago let out a sigh as a wicked chuckle escaped his lips. "Regardless, I will see to it that you and your army are destroyed."

Stoick grunted. "You and what army? You stand alone, Drago."

"Dad, wait-"

Drago, first chuckled, and then laughed as he rose his bullhook up and glared down at Stoick. Soon Hiccup realized too late that what they walked into was not their way to victory, but into a trap.

"This army," the warlord said wickedly.

As the base of his bullhook hit the ground, two explosions of chaos fire and lightning erupted behind Drago from afar as out of nowhere, two large portals opened up, and out from them came marching many dozens of orcs by the second. But that was not all he had to offer.

Up on the cliffs on both sides, more orcs came marching into view carrying bows and crossbows, along with large catapults of which were loaded and ready to fire.

...But it was then that Hiccup saw _them._

From the portals, _they_ came through; orcs, trolls, golems, goblins, corrupted dwarves and vikings, chaos infused giants, large black wolves, and finally, a dragon, with scales as black as night, large horns that stood tall and intimidating, and eyes that glowed green with evil. To Hiccup, he could only assume that the beast was most likely Drago's personal pet.

But even then, it was a sight that sent horror down the spines of every viking there and then...

Hiccup and the group began backing up towards their warriors, for they now realized why Drago had invited them to battle on the Island of Tomorrow. It was not for a fair fight. It was to slaughter them.

As thousands of warriors and monsters of the Dark Legions rallied behind Drago, Hiccup looked back up towards the cliffs one more time, only to see thousands of more marching into view as they rallied alongside the orcs and their catapults, ready to slaughter the Berkians like sheep. This was a fight they could not win.

Drago began chuckling. "Do you see now, chief of Berk? We cannot be stopped. You are but few who think of us as pawns and fools. Now you see, it is you who are the fools, standing in the way of something bigger that you cannot hope to beat..."

"In the name of the Dark Master... in the name Maldragor... SLAUGHTER THEM!"

Thousands of roars bellowed from the many races of the large dark army surrounding them, and from the cliffs above, arrows and bolts were let loose upon the Berkians, whilst the catapults followed up with volleys of fiery boulders.

Behind Stoick, his men began falling by the dozens, even as they tried raising their shields. But the orcs' projectiles were merely too much to handle, and the catapults that the orcs had stationed above them were wrecking their lines.

In a desperate attempt, the dragons tried to fight back, but their efforts were for naught, for the heavy firing was just too much to dodge or counter.

One by one, Toothless, Stormfly, Meatlug, and Barf and Belch were shot down, to the point where they could no longer fight. Their strength began to fall them, and as both they and their riders eyed Drago's forces marching towards them, fear started to take over entirely.

This was no battle. This was a massacre.

Hiccup immediately ran to Toothless's side, covering the dragon as he helped him back towards the protection of their ranks, and yet their numbers continued kept dropping. In that moment, Hiccup could see purple blood seeping from Toothless's wounds. The blood of a Night Fury.

Soon, Toothless began to turn pale.

"TOOTHLESS!" screamed Hiccup.

"We can't stay here!" called out Astrid shakingly, as she and her injured Dragon made their way closer to Hiccup. "We- we need to retreat! We're getting slaughtered!"

"Dad! What do we do!?" the lad asked desperately, looking up at his father who stood there, intimidated and bewildered. Yet only one loud word escaped from Stoick's mouth.

"RUN!"

…

* * *

The retreat back to the beach was a mess. Not only were the orcs and their allies right behind them, but much of the Berkian force was also scattered, and thus left to exposure as Drago's pet dragon burned them in chaos fire as it flew above them in a fiery rage.

Yet all Hiccup and his friends could think about were reaching the ships and getting off the island. It was clear to them that the cursed isle was beyond saving, and there was nothing they could do.

Upon reaching the shore where they landed, the remaining Berkians, of whom were all weakened, settled down to catch some air, but only briefly, for the enemy was still pursuing them.

"Their army…" Gobber breathed heavily. "How did Drago summon a large army in seconds!? His power should be impossible! Not even Gothi-"

Valka shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. They are advancing on us! We have to get off this island, or else we'll all die here!"

"Dad," spoke Hiccup, holding his arms around Toothless's neck as the dragon was on the verge of passing out. "Mom's right. We can't stay here. We've lost! There's no way we can defeat Drago like this!"

Stoick silently grunted. He desperately wanted to finish off Drago, and yet at the same time, his son was right. Thousands upon thousands of orcs and many other monsters were on the verge of washing over them, and the only way forward was back.

The chief looked back at both his son and wife, and then his dragon who he grew worried for by the minute. "...Get _everyone_ to the ships. Get ready to sail. Our dragons won't be able to fly in this state."

"EVERYONE, FALL BACK TO THE SHIPS!" bellowed Gobber to their troops.

Hiccup in response gave a nod of approval to his friends. "You heard him, guys."

Everyone did as they were told. They all made way to the longships which were still docked and ported. Being in a rush however, it took quite a bit for the group to get both themselves and their dragons onto their longship, and even then they could hear the distant marching of the orcs and their allies getting closer.

After the effort of getting the dragons on board their longship, the riders along with Stoick, Valka, and Gobber climbed on and prepared to sail off.

"We're ready to sail off," said Arn as he held onto the ship's steering oar. "By your command, chief."

Stoick nodded. "Get us out of here."

Immediately the sail dropped, and the longship began to slowly turn as the wind began to pick up. The other ships around them soon followed as well, dropping their sails and turning from the shore of the island that they hoped to take. The only thing the surviving warriors and everyone else could do now was return home to Berk and live to fight another day.

Hiccup looked back at Toothless who laid on the deck of the ship, injured. "It's alright, bud," he said, kneeling down to him. "Everything's going to be fine. We're going to get out of here and get you patched up. We will-"

"We have company!"

Astrid's voice spoke up, catching everyone's attention back towards the shore where they saw rank upon ranks of orcs flood the beach. With them were both Drago, standing at the back of his ranks, and his black beast of a dragon, which swooped down and landed at his side.

Hiccup stood to his feet, walking towards the edge of the ship and eyeing both Drago and his dragon questioningly. "What is he up to?"

His answer was immediately given. Drago laughed, raising his bullhook up into the air - and with a simple point of the weapon towards them the black dragon made it's way to the front, taking a deep breath in as its mouth lit up in green flames before letting it out in a ball of chaos fire.

"Oh no…" gasped Hiccup.

The dragon shot its first blast, aimed at a nearby ship from where Hiccup and the others were. The crew received a direct hit, and like so_,_ both they and their vessel were blown into smithereens.

Hiccup looked back at the others. "Can't we sail any faster!?"

"We're at full sail, Hiccup, there's nothing we can do!" replied Arn.

"But that means we're exposed to attack... We're going to die!"

"Th- This can't be how it ends," stuttered Fishlegs. "I- I still have a whole life ahead of me!"

"I guess the gods had this fate planned for us…" silently replied Astrid as she sank closer to Stormfly, who laid injured near the other dragons. "Is it really the end?"

"It was good to have known you, sis," sighed Tuffnut, before Ruffnut sniffled with, "You too, brother."

For the first time since they were teenagers, the riders felt frightened. Around them, their allies were being torn apart by chaos fire as their ships bursted into pieces. They had not even made it out of the coast entirely. Was this really the end for them?

Stoick on the other hand stood in hesitance as the dragon continued firing at them. His armor - though heavy, his arms and legs, though exhausted, did not stop the urge of him in wanting to silence the dragon.

Hiccup looked back at his father. "Dad, what do we do!? ...Dad!?"

It took a moment for Hiccup's voice to reach Stoick, and by the time he looked back at his son - his mind was already made up.

He sighed as he approached him, laying his hands on his son's shoulders. "...Look after your mother for me... This is something I must handle."

"What…?"

"Stoick?" both Gobber and Valka said in unison, shocked.

The chieftain did not respond. He then approached his dragon Skullcrusher, kneeling down to his level as he pat him. "Stay strong, Skullcrusher. Protect my family if anything goes wrong."

_"Stoick… what are... you doing...?"_ crooned Skullcrusher, but even then, Stoick could not understand him.

Hiccup's eyes remained widened with bewilderment. "I- I don't understand! Wh- What are you talking about, Dad?! What are you doing!?"

"...What a chief must do; protect his own."

And with that, Stoick lunged towards the edge of the longship and jumped into the shallow water. He unsheathed his axe and began rushing towards the black dragon. Though the distance was great, the speed he ran at was as fast as a Stinger.

"DAD, NO!"

Seeing his father abandon the ship, Hiccup attempted to chase after him, but before he could make any sort of an attempt, he felt a pair of arms grab ahold of him.

Astrid held him back, not wanting the lad to throw his life away. "There's nothing you can do, Hiccup! Leave him! He's doing it for us!"

As Stoick continued his charge, the black dragon soon set it's gaze onto the chieftain, and as such, the beast ceased it's fire onto the escaping longships and began aiming towards the oncoming viking.

However, Stoick would not let that stop him... With renewed strength, he dashed out of the way of the volleys of chaos fire, running in a motion that somehow defied the force of the water that ran beneath his feet. But upon reaching the beach, he gave the dragon what was coming to it...

In a final effort, the large beast attempted to shoot Stoick down at point-blank range, but the large viking was able to react quicker than it anticipated. With his axe gripped in both hands, he hurled himself up into the air with a great leap as he raised his weapon above his head, and with one mighty cleave towards the head of the black dragon, it was instantly brought low, for no roar came out in it's dying breath.

Upon pulling his axe out from the wound, the body of the black dragon tilted and fell down onto it's side as a lifeless husk. Like a river, green blood flowed out from it. But even then, Stoick knew it was not over…

His eyes fell upon Drago, who now stood at the front of his forces, grinning wickedly at him.

"What are you waiting for!?" the dark warlord called out. "Come and kill me, if you truly believe you have what it takes!"

Stoick grunted as his brows lowered into a glare, but after making a single step forward, Drago pointed his bullhook out, causing the tip of the weapon to glow as the chieftain felt a strange force of magic attune onto him. In that moment, he realized that he could no longer move.

Drago chuckled as he watched the mighty chieftain of Berk struggle, for he was unable to do anything...

"I told you, Haddock... you, have, already, LOST!"

With a mere swing of his weapon, Stoick was forced up into the air and towards Drago. One thing led to another however, and before he knew it…

The sharp tip of Drago's bullhook stabbed straight through his chest, and as such, a muffled grunt escaped his lips as the grip on his axe weakened, and like so, his weapon dropped down to the blackened ground.

With no other way forward, Stoick knew that it was the end of the line for him...

As Drago pulled back his weapon, he pushed the fallen chieftain to his knees. Whilst Stoick expected a quick end, the warlord had other plans. From beneath his blackened cloak, he brought forth the most unexpecting thing; his left arm, flesh and blood, seemingly reformed from scratch as its veins glowed green with chaos magic.

With a snap of his fingers, his left hand was engulfed in chaos fire. "I have killed hundreds of viking chieftains for as long as I've lived, and all have been forgotten by the sands of time. However, _you_ will be remembered as the chieftain who foolishly sacrificed himself… for nothing."

Stoick weakly scoffed, looking up Drago as he responded with two words…

"For Berk."

Drago merely shook his head as he let out a laugh. With his left hand, he tightly gripped it around Stoick's neck and began pouring the searing chaos fire into him, burning him from the inside-out. Though the viking made a great effort to hold in his scream, it was merely too much, far too much. His eyes, mouth, and veins began burning with chaos fire, and the pain turned into an agonizing torture...

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Stoick finally screamed, no longer able to hold it in. To this, Drago began loudly cackling, and with a strong swing of his bullhook, the green flames within Stoick suddenly bursted outwards as the chieftain of Berk was incinerated, causing an explosion that flashed brightly across the beach...

Stoick the Vast, father to Hiccup, and husband to Valka, was gone…

From afar, Hiccup witnessed the green explosion of fire as Stoick met his end. The young viking at first did not know what had happened, but then it hit him as the dark realization dawned upon him, knowing now that his father was no more. He could feel it deep down in his heart as it pumped faster than the beating wings of a Trickle, and as such, a tear slowly ran down his right cheek.

"N- No…" he spoke shakingly.

At that moment, he lightly stumbled back, falling to the deck of the longship as he covered his face in his right palm. This could not be happening... and yet it was. More tears fell from his eyes. Never had he felt such pain in his life, for he had now lost one of the only people who meant a single thing to him. His own father.

The poor lad was broken, yet as he sobbed, a pair of familiar arms hugged around him as Astrid knelt down to his level and tightly embraced him in an attempt to comfort him. Even his mother Valka sat by his side, trying to soothe her son as she ran one of her hands across his shoulder, gently stroking it. She too felt the same pain as he did. Their family was torn apart.

No other words were said on the voyage back to Berk. The vikings went home that disastrous day with only three hundred remaining out of the thousand they brought, and it would be that day which would go on forever in the history of Berk, and even Midgard, as a day of infamy.

It was that day that Stoick the Vast fell before a terrible evil...

* * *

**_"May the Valkyries welcome you, and lead you through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we might hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla, and know that you've taken your rightful place at the table of kings. For a great man has fallen; A warrior... A chieftain... A father... A friend_****_..."_**

**To be continued...**


	20. After the Disaster

"Will he come around from his depression?" asked Arn.

Astrid shrugged. "I don't know. But I can't get over my worry for him."

"We're all as worried as you are, Astrid," said Fishlegs with a sigh. "It's as if he's broken…"

Weeks had gone by ever since the death of Stoick, as well as all those who died that tragic day. The riders and their dragons were healed of their wounds, but things were not getting any better for Hiccup. His father's passing left him in a state of depression, and his rise to chieftain placed a heavy burden on his shoulders.

The skies over Berk had also turned grey and cloudy, and the days were somewhat colder. Some of the villagers wondered if it was a reflection of Hiccup's sadness.

For most of the time, he would either be sitting alone in his room, or be atop the chieftain's throne in the great hall - thinking about what he could have done to save his father despite the fact being that there was no way. Not only that, but he also ate little, slept little, and did not interact much with his friends. Not even with Toothless, Astrid, or his own mother.

To him, his life was torn in two.

However, there were other things that happened since Stoick's passing. For one, most of Clan Jorgenson had already left Snotlout, and in a massive exodus they had rejoined the Berkian Tribe which in turn reunited Berk to it's near full glory. Snotlout was left alone with only two hundred loyal warriors whilst Hiccup's tribe had over five thousand people now.

And then there was other news. Letters were received from the dwarven kingdom of Khaz'ardul and the elven realm of Lightwood, sent by both the dwarf and elf kings Morgrim and Lornduil, who made requests to come to Berk - to which they were gladly accepted.

Since then the riders waited, wondering when they would arrive.

From atop the hill near Hiccup's hut, the riders spoke in quiet discussion while eyeing the heavily populated village of Berk.

Astrid sighed. "I guess we'll have to wait for him to come around, and until then we really need to help Valka out with the village."

"And what of the two kings? Morgrim and Lornduil? Any news from them?" asked Fishlegs.

Arn shook his head. "No," he responded. "It's been a week since they sent us their letters. There hasn't been any kind of news from them since then."

"Pfft, I'm sure they'll come soon," replied Tuffnut with high self-esteemed tone. "Though this does reminds me of uncle Loknut."

"Oh yeah!" chuckled Ruffnut.

"I'm sorry, but who exactly are you two talking about?"

"Uncle Loknut," Tuffnut replied to Arn, with the mentioning of him once again making Ruffnut giggle. "We invited him to come to the annual Thorston feast, but at the time he was across the other side of the Archipelago. Even though it should have taken him a week or so to get to us, it took him MORE than a month. It was hilarious!"

Ruffnut howled in laughter. "I know, right? We didn't even start the feast until he arrived! Ah… so funny."

The others stared at the Twins with bothered looks as they continued snickering and chuckling disturbingly which lasted nearly a minute straight. Shortly afterwards they walked off, leaving Astrid, Fishlegs, and Arn confused.

"I understand the waiting part, but how does that have anything to do with what we are talking about?" asked Arn in a baffled voice.

Astrid sighed in annoyance. "Like we said, they tend to bring up the most random things ever, I don't know how they do it. Sometimes I wonder if their stories are even true because there is no way they can have eighteen uncles from what I've counted so far."

"...But right now that's not the point. Real question is, what do we do from here?"

"I would say our best option right now is to help out Hiccup, Valka and the rest of the village," answered Arn in suggestion. "I mean, we'll need the chief especially for when Morgrim and Lornduil arrives, and I'm sure they'll have something good to say to him… hopefully."

"We must find a way to reach through to him."

"I agree," nodded Fishlegs. "I'll be wandering around to help the people out. If anyone needs help in this village, I'll be there."

"Same," Astrid replied in agreement. "But I can't guarantee that I will always be available. Having to take care of both Stormfly and Toothless has been a bit of a struggle, so…"

"No worries, I can take your place while you're tending to the dragons, at least when I am free of course," said Arn, giving Astrid a relieved feeling in response from his assurance. She smiled at him with a, "Thank you."

He gave a nod. "No problem. That's what friends are for."

"...Now, I think we should get down to business. Fishlegs, do as you will and go around the town to see if anyone requires assistance. Astrid, see if Toothless and Stormfly need to be fed or taken flying, and if not, I'd say go help Valka out. I actually may need to continue reading that spellbook before I get to doing anything. I've been at it for weeks and I feel like I'm onto something. Something that can finally help us out..."

…

* * *

"I'm glad you decided to come along and help, Astrid. Times have been tough around here, especially since my husband's passing..."

Astrid gave Valka a warming smile. "It's nothing really. I'm just doing what I can to help our people and our dragons out."

It was lucky for Astrid that she was laid off the hook that day with both Toothless and Stormfly, but the two dragons were willing to help her out, thus they made their way to Valka and Cloudjumper who were busy with tending to the dragons in the dragon hangar.

The five of them had just finished carrying buckets of fish to the feeding station, and as soon as it was filled to the brim many dragons from their burrowed caves and tunnels flew out towards it and began to feast vigorously.

Valka wiped sweat off her forehead as they walked off to the side. "Ah, thank you Astrid," she sighed. "That would have taken forever were it not for you three."

"Really? How long were you even down here, Valka?" asked Astrid.

"About an hour or two. There was no one else down here, so Cloudjumper and I decided to get to work. Alone however it would have taken maybe twice the amount of time to get it all done."

"Wow," said Astrid with a straight forward reply. "Well then it's a good thing we showed up to-"

Before being able to say much, she felt her arms nudged lightly by both Toothless and Stormfly who were warbling and squawking at her as if trying to tell her something.

_"Hey, can we go eat? Please?" _crooned Toothless in Dragonese. _"There's soooo much fish, and I need something to grub on!"_

_"Please Astrid?" _squawked Stormfly. _"My mouth is watering!"_

_"Will you two relax?"_ Cloudjumper responded with a light exhale.

Of course Astrid could not understand a thing they were saying, but she assumed that they were hungry. "Alright, alright. You two can join in."

Both dragons immediately ran off swifter than a horse, with Cloudjumper slowly following behind, and as they went off to the feeding station in the center of the room the dragons quickly and respectfully made way for their alpha upon laying eyes on him.

Valka chuckled. "Toothless is quite the alpha to his kind, isn't he?"

Astrid only responded with a light nod. "Yeah… but we aren't much without _our_ own alpha. Our chief," she said, almost in a stressing way. "Valka, how are we supposed to continue on like this without Hiccup? I mean- have you seen him recently? His health?"

"Hmph, yes," Valka noted - her voice getting softer. "His health has been slowly declining. He hasn't been getting much sleep, nor eating much. Gothi even confirms that he has been losing some weight."

"Is there nothing we can do?" asked Astrid, glancing between Valka and Toothless, who was busy eating. "Toothless really wishes he could see Hiccup, but he always gets shrugged off or shunned."

"All he really thinks about is Stoick. About his father."

Valka shook her head as she shrugged. Her ideas were running slim. "By this point we can only reach him with some sort of miracle. Something that could possibly reignite Hiccup's fire."

"Like what? Some sort of discovery?"

"Maybe. But I don't know. We can't hope to possibly find the answer through assuming. We'll need all the help we can get."

"Right," nodded Astrid. "Perhaps the others and I can try to figure something out - maybe even help Arn out with the spellbook he is reading. He says he's been looking for answers and that he's onto something. Maybe it's some sort of spell Gothi can use to help Hiccup out of depression?"

"I wouldn't say there's a spell for that, Astrid," Valka disagreed, though respectfully. "But what about the others? What are they doing?"

"Fishlegs went off to help with the people in town to see if they need any assistance, while the Twins are off doing their own things. Though speaking of Fishlegs, I actually wonder what he is doing…?"

Before Astrid could wander off in her thoughts, the sound of footsteps echoing throughout the cavern of the hangar caught their attention as they spotted Eret son of Eret running down the stone stairs from above. He seemed to be in a rush.

What was it that he had to say? Was something going on?

He came to an abrupt stop upon reaching them. "Valka, Astrid, I have something for you and the others. It's very important." he said, somewhat breathily.

"What is it?" asked Valka.

"Two letters. You might want to read them..."

...

* * *

"And so I gripped my arms around that viking's neck and threw him into the ocean! That was the last I ever saw of him and his crew."

"And the Thunderheads named you Gobber the Mountain?" asked Fishlegs, to which Gobber nodded his head as he drank from his mug of mead, replying cheerfully, "Yup!"

The two large vikings sat alone with their dragons in Gobber's workshop, both having a talk by the fireplace as Gobber told Fishlegs a couple of interesting stories. As interesting as they were however, the younger viking's mind told him that he should not stay, especially since it was getting a bit boring.

"Well…" softly said Fishlegs. "I am glad I was able to help you clean up your forge and workshop, Gobber. But maybe I should-"

"Eh, don't stress it too much, lad! I'm sure the rest of the village has everything under control. After all the people you've helped out so far, you've released stress off our shoulders and made the town's self-esteem go up. You should give yourself a pat on the back, and as well as relax. Have a mug of mead!"

"A- Are you sure?" asked Fishlegs, glancing between Meatlug who slept in the corner with Grump and Gobber who was over by a barrel near the counter behind them, filling another mug with mead. "I mean- I don't want to drink too much or anything-"

"Of course not, lad. You get two mugs only. No more, no less."

Gobber walked back over to him, firmly handing him a newly filled mug as he sat back down in his chair with his own mug, which of course was attached to his prosthetic. "Well lad. Skál!"

Both roughly raised their mugs to one another, before drinking out of them heartily - though with Fishlegs going at a slower pace. After about a few seconds though, Gobber had already emptied his mug.

"Whoa, you're done already?"

Gobber chuckled as he wiped his mouth and moustache of any foam. "Downing one mug is nothing, lad. Downing twenty however, oh that is something!"

"Is that something you really did?" asked Fishlegs curiously, to which of course Gobber nodded.

"Aye! It all happened one cold night during the Snoggletog feast. It was when both you and the other lads and lasses were just kids. During that time, my cousin Hobbler was visiting - and he challenged me to a drinking game. Being the arrogant son of an ugly muttonhead I was, I accepted. And so, I challenged him."

Fishlegs leaned a bit forward in his chair. It seemed like the mead was slightly getting to him as he drank, because he was interested. "And then what happened?"

"The drinking game began, and we went for it," replied Gobber, smiling at the nostalgic thoughts. "We were both given twenty mugs of ale each, and we were both supposed to drink all twenty of 'em. The prize for the winner was a new axe, and so we drank and drank as much as we could - determined to win it… except Hobbler bit off more than he could chew- or rather, drank more than he could swallow, because the dumb drunken fool ended up fainting at ten!"

"And you drank all twenty of them?"

"Gods yes I did!" howled Gobber in laughter. "But then at the end I myself also ended up fainting. Those twenty meads made my head feel smashed in. Oh, those were good times…"

For a moment Gobber's mind went off into the blue, remembering the times when life was actually good - aside from the whole dragon-killing part. When he came back to reality however, he took Fishlegs's now emptied mug before standing from his chair and walking over to the mead barrel, filling both of the large tankards back up.

"Well, here's your second," said Gobber, handing Fishlegs his refilled mug as he sat back down. "Now. Let's see how fast you can down it. Ready?"

Fishlegs gave a nod as Gobber then counted down, "Three, two, one, and…!"

The young lad immediately got to it and gave it all he had, drinking down gulp after gulp of mead until after just ten seconds, the mug was empty with not a single drop.

Gobber saw how the way Fishlegs drank it was not like Fishlegs. He even ended off his chug with a large burp, which was something the lad hardly did.

"Another round?" asked Fishlegs.

Gobber shook his head. "I told you, two mugs only. You'll get drunk if I give you another! How do you think the others will react when they see you-"

The two of them heard a sudden knock at the door of the workshop, to which Gobber replied, _"Come in," _and in came both Astrid and Valka, both of whom had serious looks on their faces.

"Astrid? Valka? What are you two doing here?"

"Fishlegs, we have news that both you and Gobber may want to hear," replied Valka.

Gobber rose one of his brows. "Oh?"

Astrid stepped forward, carrying the letters that they were given. "Eret came by today with these two letters. It's from both Morgrim and Lornduil."

"The dwarven and elven king?" asked Fishlegs, standing from his chair in surprise. "Finally! So what do they say?"

"We're in luck," Astrid answered with a smile. "Both Morgrim and Lornduil are only a day away from Berk. They both said they'll be arriving here tomorrow! After so much waiting…"

"We'll need to get the town prepared if they're going to be arriving tomorrow," said Gobber who also stood up from his chair. "Everyone needs to know about this… as well as Hiccup…"

...

* * *

"Come on… what does this even mean?"

Arn's eyes gazed at the last page of the spellbook, reading the runic words which had cut off the rest of the chapter about the Wings of Midgard. He still had no idea what they meant or what they said, but he was not willing to give up like Hiccup nearly did.

He would not give up.

Yet despite the fact that he believed he was close getting onto something, he still struggled. He flipped through the spellbook from front to back and back to front thrice, and so far there was nothing. "Come on you stupid book, give me something!" he grunted, gritting his teeth.

But after nearly an hour of flipping pages, Arn was beginning to get a slight headache. Seeing the same page multiple times and having to read through it had tired his eyes out.

"Forget it," Arn sighed as he shoved the spellbook aside, still wide opened on the last page. His elbows were on the table, and his hands rubbing his eyes. "Is there really nothing I can do to figure what in the Hel those runes mean? I mean, it's not like I can cast a spell on them and make them change…"

Arn sank further in, lowering his head in exhaustion. His head spun in thought and his eyes nearly closed tiredly as if a great force was pushing them down. After all, what could he learn from a spellbook that gave no answers on the runes? Runes he could not even read…

...However, something suddenly popped up from what he said. _'It's not like I can cast a spell on them and make them change…'_

Looking back at the book, Arn noticed the nearby glaring glow of a brazier reflecting it's fire onto the page of the book, and suddenly a new idea popped into his head as his mind recalled back to Hiccup casting his spell.

"...Could it work?"

If what he assumed was right, maybe Hiccup was the key...


	21. The Big Discovery

"Hiccup? Are you sure he is the key?"

"There's no doubt about it, Astrid. He's the only one among us who can cast fire magic. It must be him."

It did not take long for Arn to summon the riders to the great hall. From the way he looked they could tell that he struck something big. He told them about how the mysterious runes on the last page of the spellbook required the glow of fire magic in order to reveal what they truly say, but the group had their doubts.

"Uh- how would you know that would work?" asked Tuffnut, placing a fist against his waist. "I mean, Gothi knows fire magic so maybe she could-"

Arn shook his head. "Last time I went to her with the book in hand she kicked me out of her hut. Clearly she knows something about it that we don't…"

"Or maybe she just doesn't like it?" shrugged Ruffnut suggestively. "I dunno. I mean- Gothi can be weird."

"Hmm… you actually do raise a valid point for once," Astrid pointed out, surprised at the way that Ruffnut replied.

"I agree. But still, if Arn truly does believe Hiccup is the key, then clearly he's our only hope for finding out what the runes say," stated Fishlegs, though he still remained slightly doubtful. "Question is, how do we get him to cast his fire magic again? He won't even talk to any of us."

"...Not even Toothless."

Indeed it was a tricky question. There was no way for them to make Hiccup communicate with them, even if they tried anything to cheer him up. Again, he would either shun them off or simply ignore them as if they were not even there. Instead, they had to think of something that was out of the ordinary. Something that they would not dare try to do that could possibly further upset or infuriate Hiccup…

But the answer was right there for them.

"Anger," spoke Astrid, catching everyone's eyes as they all said, "What?"

"You heard me," she nodded with her arms crossed. "If we can't hope to get Hiccup's attention through asking or begging him, we'll just have to force him to give his attention."

Fishlegs rubbed his chin curiously. "You know… it actually makes sense," he confidently replied. "Hiccup can only conjure flames if he gets angry. That's what he did last time when we fought that golem during the Battle for the Island of Tomorrow. I say it could work."

"I don't know…" said Ruffnut giving a glance back at Astrid. "Wouldn't he yell at you and possibly lash out? Though then again, you are his girlfriend."

"It doesn't necessarily have to be her," replied Arn as he took a step forward. "There's always me."

"...You?" spoke Fishlegs.

"Aye," he said back. "I'm pretty sure Hiccup trusts you guys more than he trusts me. I've only been here for nearly a month now, and even then we're not that close as friends. I may be trusted in many cases, but not every case."

"But I'd say it's worth a try. I will try to provoke him."

"Very well… So then when should we do it?" asked Astrid.

"Tomorrow perhaps. It's getting quite late," yawned Arn. "When he enters the great hall, we'll follow up behind him with our dragons and as well as with the spellbook, and _then_ we'll get things under way - hopefully before the elves and dwarves arrive."

"So it's decided then," nodded Astrid. "Tomorrow?"

The others nodded. "Tomorrow."

…

* * *

The next morning came by peacefully like a breeze, and surprisingly, there was a bit more blue in the sky - as well as some sun. However, that did not change the fact that Hiccup was still in his depressive state.

The group knew that Hiccup usually went into the great hall at an early time, so they waited until he came out of his home.

And eventually, he did.

Astrid stood by the runestone with her dragon down in the crowded plaza, trying to look normal and unsuspicious, and as soon as Hiccup took a step out of his hut, her eyes fell on him from afar.

Hiccup looked around, noticing that the sky was more blue than normal, but he did not have much of a reaction to it. Instead he continued walking, heading towards the stairs leading to the great hall without even minding anything around him.

While walking up the stairs he did not bother at all to look up. His head and eyes were fixated downwards like a slumped tree, but as soon as he entered the great hall and was out of plain sight, Astrid looked around her before giving off a sharp but loud enough whistle for the others to hear.

From the crowds of people and dragons, the rest of the riders along with Toothless and the other dragons swiftly came out and made their way to Astrid. They were in a rush as they knew they had to make it quick.

Astrid glanced at Arn. "Do you have the spellbook?"

"Yup," he said, presenting it out in front of them. "One glow from Hiccup's magical fire, and hopefully the runes will change... or do something."

"Well let's not bother hesitating to find out," sighed Fishlegs. "Let's go."

In an instant the group walked out of there, making way towards the great stairs and up it without drawing any suspicion. Eventually, they made it to the doors of the great hall and slowly opened them as they swiftly went in before quietly closing them from behind.

Upon entering however, they noticed a few things were off.

Much of the lighting in the hall was dimmer. Some of the braziers and bonfires were out, and the only main source of light were from the braziers lit near the chieftain's throne where Hiccup sat, with his head dangling down at the chief's table in front of him, shadowing most of his face.

Toothless quietly crooned curiously at the sight of his rider. _"Will I be able to speak to him again after this?"_

"If it works," Arn assured him, with him being the only one in the group aside from Hiccup understanding Dragonese. "But I'll do what I can. Everyone else, stay back."

"Uhh, but what if he like- gets too angry and like, attacks you?" quietly asked Tuffnut, to which Arn winked back at him and the others.

"I'll be fine. Trust me."

"If you say so," whispered Astrid. "Now let's get this over with."

Arn sighed as he looked back towards Hiccup who was still looking down in a depressive manner, and with calm motion he began walking towards the chieftain of Berk with the spellbook at his side. With every footstep he took, they echoed throughout the silence of the great hall, yet Arn also felt a bit anxious. He just hoped this would indeed work. It had to.

Now standing before Hiccup, he gently called out the lad's name.

"Hiccup."

There was no response from him. He just kept his head down, not bothering to look back up at Arn.

He sighed, clearing his throat before saying his name again, this time louder. "Hiccup." But once again, there was no response.

Arn then added on with, "I need to tell you something. It's very important, and you need to hear it. It's about… the state of the village," he lied.

Hiccup for a moment arched his brow. Wondering ever so slightly what he meant, he looked up at Arn and asked in a monotone voice, "What is it..."

Arn felt his confidence rise. Now he was getting somewhere.

"People are questioning your position as chief," he continued as he begun to pace. "For weeks you have done nothing besides sitting here and in your hut barely doing anything. You eat little, sleep little, and you are not making yourself a confident figure as the chief of Berk. People are-"

"If I knew this I would have been told by now," he replied - seeing through Arn's lie. "I highly doubt what you're saying is true."

"And what makes you say that? You're always isolated from everyone else," Arn stated, still trying to keep it up.

Hiccup's brows slightly lowered. "My mother and Astrid visit me once nearly everyday. Most of the time what they say is irrelevant, but I have not heard anything of that sort so far from them. I don't believe you."

"Is your trust really limited to such a small extent?" questioned Arn with a louder voice. "You can't stay in the shadows like this forever if you're really still going to-"

"I've heard enough from you," interrupted Hiccup as he gestured with his hand in a sweeping motion towards the door. "You've spoken your mind so get out and leave me alone. There's nothing more you can-"

"And what of Stoick?" asked Arn, now dabbling with Hiccup's strings.

"Don't you dare say that name…"

Arn shook his head. "But I'm not finished. Not even the slightest," he said as if trying to provoke the young chief. "Tell me Hiccup, what would he think of you? Hm? Tell me. You sit here on that throne and do nothing while your closest friends run the village for you like puppets. All you think about everyday and night is your father Stoick who sacrificed blood and sweat to protect your tribe and village, yet you have done NOTHING so far while you've been chieftain. What would your father think of you upon seeing his fool of a son who can't-"

"Don't you DARE call me that!" Hiccup spoke aggressively. _Now_ they were getting somewhere with him.

"You come into my hall, and you talk as if you knew my father better than me," he continued, now standing from the throne. "It's not my fault that he died by the hands of an evil that I could not stop! That NONE of us could stop! You talk as if you think yourself better than me!"

Arn stepped forward, still attempting to taunt Hiccup. The trick seemed to be working. "It's YOUR fault that you could not stop him from sailing! You went on with the plan to sail towards the Island of Tomorrow, and look at where that got him! If you had stopped him, he would be standing here right now, alive! And what have you done after that for Berk? Nothing!"

"I GAVE EVERYTHING FOR BERK!" shouted Hiccup as he picked up a nearby chair from the high table and threw it at Arn, to which the blonde lad barely dodged it. "I took us out of the dark ages! I made peace with dragons! I worked, fought, and strived to get us out of the dirt and to where we are! BUT WHAT HAVE _YOU_ DONE FOR US!?"

It was clear that Hiccup was now aggressive. Dabbling and messing with his emotions was the only way they could have reached through to him, and it seemed to be thus far working. Along with that, he was getting angry. _Very _angry. That meant he could at any time begin to conjure up flames.

"If I had not come here, Berk would already be burning in chaos fire! I told you about the Wings of Midgard! I told you about the Dark Legions! And I even told you about where they are! Does that mean nothing to you!? Are you really _that_ _useless!?"_

"Tch, you think yourself so clever," he said, pointing a finger infuriatingly at Arn as he advanced around the high table and towards him. "But I'll show you who is clever when I burn you to cinders. You will know how I felt after seeing my father explode in fire… You think you are tough?! YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE WHAT I SUFFERED!?"

Hiccup's voice echoed as his left hand came down to his side in an aggressive motion. His eyes immediately burnt brightly with fire as he made his hand into a claw and quickly summoned up burning hot flames. Though Arn was nervous, he was also at the same time surprised. How did he manage to cast fire magic so quickly?

"I'm going to teach you what real pain feels like… because NOW YOU'VE ASKED FOR IT!"

Hiccup let out a loud scream as he threw a fireball towards Arn without even having to chant, which shocked both Arn and the rest of the group who stood near the doors of the hall - watching what was going on, and as the fireball closed in on him he immediately rose the spellbook up in defense and allowed the spell to hit it which in turn bursted and set the book on fire, but it did not protect him entirely.

Though the book took most of the hit, Arn was knocked back by the force of the spell's impact. But as he fell hard to the ground, the spellbook suddenly flipped to the last page with the runes, and out of shock, the book swiftly absorbed the flames into the runes like snow disappearing into the wind.

But both of the young vikings were too busy to notice. As Hiccup in his blind anger was about to cast another fireball, he heard someone call out from the shadows near the doors of the hall.

"HICCUP, STOP!"

"A- Astrid…!?"

Multiple footsteps along with the sound of dragon paws hitting the stone floor could be heard, and as the rest of the group came into view they ran to gather around both Hiccup and Arn.

But the sight of Astrid's face and the sound of her voice nearly broke the anger that blinded Hiccup. She was like a spell to him, and upon seeing her he felt something spin in his stomach. It was a feeling of guilt for what he was doing; something he had not felt in a long while. And slowly, his anger began to drop. He had no reason to be mad at the one he loved, yet he was also very confused. Why was she here? He looked around, wondering what to say as a result of the situation he put himself in. What had he done?

Hiccup stuttered in his words, noticing the serious look on his girlfriend's face. "A- Astrid, I- I can explain-!"

And yet as Astrid went up to him, rather than blocking Hiccup from Arn and the others, or holding him back, she met him with a tight hug in a warm embrace, to which Hiccup slowly but surprisingly embraced her back. Feeling Astrid in his presence again made his realization and senses come back to him. His anger started to clear up upon feeling her arms around him.

Fishlegs and the Twins on the other hand went up to Arn, helping him to his feet.

"Are you alright?" asked Fishlegs, receiving a nod from Arn in response.

"Y- Yeah. I'm fine… but what about Hiccup?"

They all looked back at Hiccup who was wrapped around Astrid's hugging arms, but soon he backed up as he looked down at his hands, nearly stumbling to his knees as he quickly came to realize what he almost tried to do to Arn.

"What have I done?" he quietly asked himself. "I- I nearly killed him… Arn, I-"

"Hey- it's okay… it's not your fault," said Astrid assuringly as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "We... We were purposely trying to provoke you, Hiccup. It was the only way we could reach you."

"Huh? What do you mean by _purposely_ provoke? Don't you think he's right about what he said?" he asked. "Or... are you saying all those things he said were a lie?"

"Yes, they were…" sighed Arn as he approached Hiccup. "Hiccup, you know I would never call you useless, because you are the opposite of that. You've made your father proud for as long as you have been with him. But now that he's gone, you must move on from him and take up the mantle of a chieftain. Be the true chief that Berk deserves…"

"I agree. Hiccup, you've done more than what Stoick could have ever done in his life, and it was just in half his lifetime," spoke Astrid. "Although there was no way you could have saved him, or stopped him from sailing to face Drago, you still managed to save Berk time and again… and now we need you once again."

"Will you lead us, chieftain?"

Astrid took a step back with a smile, happy to see Hiccup's face once more as he looked upon the group and their dragons. The young chieftain knew that they were right. He had to move on. There was no way he could keep up with living in the shadows, and soon he felt a smile spread across his face for the first time in a while.

He nodded his head. "Y- Yes… I will."

"Now that's the Hiccup I know," grinned Astrid as she reached in, giving Hiccup a quick but loving kiss on his lips. "Welcome back, Hiccup."

_"Hey, you're forgetting about me!"_

A familiar draconic voice caught Hiccup's attention as the lad felt himself get knocked to the floor from the side, flat on his back, and as he looked up he saw a familiar black dragon on top of him, warbling happily.

"Toothless!" chuckled Hiccup as the Night Fury pounced around him, making him laugh. "Oh bud… I'm sorry for shunning you after what happened, but oh how I've really missed you! Do you miss me?"

_"A lot!" _gargled Toothless. _"It's good to see you again, Hiccup! Oh and hey, when can we go flying? I want to-"_

"Uhh- guys?" said Tuffnut. "You might wanna look at this."

The laughing came to a stop as Hiccup and the others turned their heads to where Tuffnut was pointing; towards the spellbook which was still wide opened. They saw that the runes on the last page were glowing with fire magic.

"That's odd…" said Hiccup as he quickly stood to his feet. "Is that suppose to happen?"

"It would seem so," replied Arn as he slowly approached the book and picked it up. "But I guess it makes sense now. The spell hiding the words on the last page was magic locked. It did not need a glow, but rather a bit of a blast from the element needed unlock it."

"I nearly killed you with that spell though!" stated Hiccup. "How was that even a bit of a-_?"_

"Wait, look!"

Arn's eyes widened as he saw before him the glowing runes re-arrange into words, finishing off the rest of the chapter, which meant that they could finally read it.

Hiccup approached him to ask what was going on, but he was quickly handed the book so that he could read for himself what the last page had to say. The others then grouped up around him, eager and excited to see what there was.

"Hiccup," said Astrid. "It's all yours. What it does it say?"

He cleared his throat, with his eyes stuck on the glowing words. "I'll uh- read from the last sentence we read before…"

And thus, he began to read aloud for the others to hear…

…

_"What happened to the Wings of Midgard afterwards is unclear. What is certain however is that the Dark Master, Maldragor, was locked away by them with the help of the Allfather Odin himself."_

_"After peace was brought back to Midgard, and the damage done to the world was restored, the leader of the Wings of Midgard, Horren, as well as the others, were granted incredible powers by Odin for their valiant victory against Maldragor, who had nearly destroyed us all."_

_"The Allfather said; "For as long as you hold these powers to bring order, they shall pass on, but __only to the best__ of your descendants. You may have a son or daughter, but there may be a chance that they may not be worthy to carry them." And with that, he bid the Wings of Midgard farewell as he returned to the heavens of Valhalla…"_

_"...At least, that's what my grandfather Horren Haddock said-"_

…

"Horren Haddock!?"

Everyone's voices rose up at the name Hiccup read. _Horren Haddock._ Which meant only one thing.

"H- Hiccup, Horren Haddock is your ancestor," said Fishlegs. "And your ancestor was a Wing of Midgard! He was their leader!"

"But what else does it say?" asked Astrid, almost shakingly.

Hiccup's eyes fell back onto the book, and continued reading.

…

_"At least, that's what my grandfather Horren Haddock said before I was born, and now I carry his powers."_

_"With it, I have glanced a thousand years into the future and saw a vision of what is to happen. All I can say is that he is returning. Maldragor is returning, and he wants revenge for his humiliating defeat…"_

_"...But I also saw that the third generation of the Wings of Midgard; __a descendant of mine along with his friends,__ will stand against him."_

_"And so it has led me to making this book. To the one who successfully managed to unlock this last page, congratulations. By breaking the lock you have proven yourself as a Wing of Midgard, for only a clever Hiccup could have done it. And now I leave the fate of this world to you and your friends. Save Midgard, young Hiccup, and help your friends awaken their powers..."_

_**-Sincerely, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I **_

…

Everyone, especially Hiccup, stood in shock. Dropping the book to the ground as his hands were quaking, he looked back at the others with his eyes widened. Not only had they found out that Hiccup's ancestors, Horren and Hiccup Haddock I, were formerly the Wings of Midgard, but it also led to one conclusion.

"Do you guys know what this means…?" questioned Hiccup.

"Hiccup," spoke Astrid. "You're a Wing of Midgard!"

"No, not just me, Astrid," he replied. "WE are the Wings of Midgard! You, Fishlegs, and even the Twins! Though... I can't say for certain that Arn is-"

"It doesn't matter," the blonde viking interrupted. "...What matters is that I've at long last found the Wings of Midgard. They were here in front of me all along. This means my search is complete! This means we can-"

Before he could get the rest of his words out, the doors to the great hall were bursted opened as Valka, Gobber, and Eret came rushing in with Cloudjumper, Grump, and Skullcrusher at their side. They looked quite serious.

Hiccup's eyes immediately turned towards them. "Guys?" he called out. "W- What are you doing here?"

The moment he spoke to them, they gave each other quick glances as they first wondered what changed, but then realized that Hiccup was back to his normal self. Regardless however, they had to tell him the news.

"Hiccup," said Valka. "You may want to come outside. And quickly."

"Why, what is it?"

"It's the elves and dwarves. Our scouts spotted their ships from afar. They're-"

Suddenly they heard the loud noise of two horns bellowing from outside the great hall. It became apparent to everyone that the elves and the dwarves along had now arrived.

"...They're here."

* * *

**Quite the discovery, eh? If it was not mindblowing enough to any of you, then prepare for what is to come next!**


	22. Uniting

**This chapter is shorter than the last one, but I can assure you that it will have an epic ending. Still, I hope you guys like this one!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

As Hiccup ran through the doors leading out of the great hall, the blue cloudy sky and the sun met his eyes. But upon gazing in the distance, he saw ships docking both into and outside of Berk's harbor from afar.

The dwarves of Khaz'ardul had their orange sails raised with the crest of a white anvil, while the light elves of Lightwood had their white sails up with a silver bird as their symbol.

But what both the elves and dwarves brought were not just a mere few ships. It was an entire fleet.

The dwarves' large galley ships with their large metal rams were numbered fifty, whilst the elves and their swift war-sloops were numbered a hundred. Still, both factions brought the same amount of warriors: a thousand elves and a thousand dwarves.

This was peculiar and strange to Hiccup however. Why would the elves and dwarves bring an entire army to their doorstep?

"That's… a lot of elves and dwarves," stated Astrid in an astonished tone. "But why would Morgrim and Lornduil bring a whole army here?"

"There must be a good reason for that," suggested Hiccup. "Whatever the case, both of those kings came here to talk to me, so it's best we get started with it... Gobber. Eret."

"Aye?" they both asked in unison.

"Mount up and fly over to the docks. Bring Lornduil and Morgrim here. Tell them that I await them, and that I'm eager to hear them out."

"As you wish," nodded Eret.

"If you say so," Gobber added on.

The two vikings swiftly mounted onto their dragons, Grump and Skullcrusher, and without rush they flew into distance towards the docks where both Lornduil and Morgrim had most likely already docked, considering that their large flagships were the first ships that were ported. Though they were a bit of a tight fit, they still managed to fit.

It would not take long however until they spotted both Gobber and Eret along with their dragons coming back into view, and on their backs they carried two familiar figures; a red-bearded dwarf armored in black and gold plate along with a brown furred cloak and a crown with red gems, and a tall elf with long silver hair who wore golden elven scale mail armor from shoulder to toe along with a large red cloak on his back.

As the two dragons landed at the bottom of the great stairs, both Morgrim and Lornduil swiftly dismounted before Gobber and Eret could and hastily began to make their way up the stairs to Hiccup, with the two dragon riders and their dragons following them in tow.

"They seem to be in a rush," Hiccup said to himself. "They're unarmed, but they also look like they're armored for war. Why?"

The two kings upon reaching Hiccup presented themselves to him with a bow, which the young chieftain found surprising considering the last visit.

"Well…" breathed Gobber, gasping for air from running up the great stairs. "Here we are, my kings. I would present to you chief-"

"We know," interrupted Morgrim with a nod. "Now will ya allow us tae speak with him or…?"

"I'm all ears," said Hiccup as he stepped forward. "But… how did you already know I was the chief?"

"Err, it's a long story, lad," Morgrim replied as he approached the young chieftain and surprisingly rose his arm up to give him a pat on the shoulder. "What say we talk about this inside, eh?"

"Indeed. We have much to talk about, young chief," Lornduil politely agreed.

Hiccup looked back at the others who were glancing back at him, and he gave them a nod. "Everyone, leave us… you too, Toothless."

The whole group gave no other words to Hiccup as they turned their backs and made way down the great stairs towards the plaza, leaving the kings and the young chieftain alone by themselves.

Hiccup gave them an approving nod. "Shall we?"

…

* * *

The three of them sat at the high table ready for discussion, with Hiccup back on the throne of the chieftain and the two kings sitting opposite from him. Still, the young chief was curious.

"Right," began Hiccup, shifting and leaning forward in his seat. "Let's get down to the point. Why have you come to Berk with an army that's armed for war? Why are you even here?"

"We heard about what happened with your father Stoick the Vast. We give our condolences," answered Lornduil in a respective manner at the mention of him. "But the point is, we came here to tell you that the orcs, as those raiders are called, attacked us."

"What? Both of you?"

"Aye," replied Morgrim. "They came before tha gates of Khaz'ardul keep with a large army and presented themselves tae us as tha _Dark Legions. _They threatened tae slaughter us like they did with tha chieftain of Berk if we refused tae stand with 'em, but we responded with a Hel load o' dwarven cannon fire and blasted those damned orcs and their monstrous allies tae ashes! Wasn't 'til we interrogated one of 'em tha' they told us what they were."

Hiccup rose both his brows. "So that's how you knew about my father's death..."

"This was a similar case for us as well when they reached the walls of the Lightwood capital," responded Lornduil with a sigh. "But when the orcs tried to siege it, they stood no chance against our archers and magics. They were shot down and forced to retreat."

"...Much of our forest was burnt however, and so were many of our villages."

Hiccup was stunned by that point. Never had he thought that the orcs would launch a siege on both the elves and the dwarves. He only assumed that the orcs would start with Berk and then move onto the rest of the Archipelago…

But instead they attacked the mighty kingdoms of the elves and dwarves, making an all-out total war.

"...So what happened next?" asked Hiccup, leaning more forward.

"Well…" began Morgrim. "A few days after tha siege, I received a letter from Lornduil who explained his similar situation, and fer tha next two weeks we sent letters back an' forth discussing what tae do."

"And eventually, we came to a conclusion," added on Lornduil.

The two kings sat silent for a moment as they glanced back at one another, before nodding after having their thoughts. They denied making it happen last time, but not this time…

"We want tae form an alliance with ye," said Morgrim.

Hiccup blinked confusingly at first after hearing Morgrim's response, but after looking back at Lornduil he bowed his head in agreement.

"Are you two serious?"

"We are," responded Lornduil. "It has become clear to us that if we do not do something now about this new threat, we will never stand a chance against them in the future. It's time that we toss our hatreds aside. I don't want to see Lightwood burn, nor my own kind."

"And I don't want tae see Khaz'ardul be turned intae ruin," the dwarf king replied firmly. "Out of both our races, we are tha only kingdoms willing tae stand against 'em, but we must fight together."

"We save Midgard, an' we'll be able tae save our people... So, what say ye?"

And so it had come to this. The alliance which the elves and dwarves denied making nearly a month ago was now about to be formed, but it was clear this would be no normal alliance like Hiccup's father had planned.

"...I say yes," agreed Hiccup, standing from his throne. "But this will be no ordinary alliance. Whether it will be our first or last alliance, this will be built upon the races of Midgard; humans, dwarves, and light elves. Never in hundreds of years has anyone managed to unite all three of our races."

"Until now," Lornduil added on. "Either way, the vote is unanimous."

Morgrim stood from his seat. "Aye. So I suppose it's done then?"

"It's done," nodded Hiccup. "But we need everyone to know about this, including both the elves and dwarves."

"I see," responded Lornduil. "So what do you ask of us, high chief Hiccup?"

"I want you two to tell my mother and the others to rally all of the Berkian Tribe in front of the great stairs, as well as both of your armies. I have a speech I have to make to everyone…"

…

* * *

"Wow... Look at them all," said Arn in surprise. "Kind of reminds me of when my father became chieftain of the Alsworn."

The town center was extremely crowded with vikings, dragons, elves, and dwarves, and as well as the hill where Hiccup's hut was. But overall, every area around the stairs of the great hall was crowded.

At the top of the great stairs, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, the Twins, Arn, and the rest of the group as well as their dragons and the two kings stood looking over the races of Midgard that stood quietly in wonder and anticipation.

Feeling ready, Hiccup looked to his right where Astrid and Arn stood, and they gave him a nod.

"It's time," spoke Astrid. "Tell us what you want to say."

"Alright… Toothless, come here."

The dragon huffed out air and nodded his head as Hiccup stepped a few paces forward with Toothless at his side so that everyone could see them. His own people were especially curious as they had not seen their chief in a while.

As soon as both he and his dragon were in position for all to see, he looked towards the crowds down below and around him, eyeing them for a moment in thought before he then began to speak to them.

"I- I know many of you may question what I have to say," he began. "Especially my people since I have been gone for quite a while, but this is something that must be heard!"

He let out a soft sigh. "We've all faced the atrocities of the orcs and the Dark Legions! They seek to conquer and destroy all of Midgard and see us all burn! They've attacked the elves and their ancient realm of Lightwood! They've attacked the dwarves and their mighty kingdom of Khaz'ardul! ...And, they also attacked Berk, and slew my father."

The three races began to speak amongst one another. The Berkians knew that they were attacked and that their chieftain was slain, but they did not know that the elves and dwarves were struck by the dark threat as well.

The elves and dwarves on the other hand were shocked that Berk's chieftain had fallen. Indeed they cared not in the past for the well being of other races, but this was unexpecting news.

Hiccup again continued to speak, silencing everyone's voices. "My father, Stoick the Vast, was slain in battle by a warlord who we thought was killed. He saved our people so that we could escape to fight another day - he was that type of chieftain, and I always thought that his death would leave a scar on the Berkian Tribe…"

"...But it has made us stronger!"

"Drago Bludvist, their warlord, expects us to back down, but he is gravely mistaken! He works to bring his master back into the world, yet he forgets who stands in his way to stop him. Us!"

Once more the crowds spoke up, this time in agreement. Hiccup did raise a valid point.

The elves and dwarves were both sieged by the Dark Legions, yet both armies that the orcs' Dark Master sent were pushed back. Slaughtered. And as for Berk, although they sacrificed much fighting the orcs and their allies, they still managed to deal a decent blow against them.

Even the dragons, of whom were Nadders, Gronckles, Zipplebacks, Nightmares, and many others, understood what Hiccup was saying. Though they were no longer wild dragons, they still had the instinct to defend themselves and the humans they loved against this dark threat.

Again, Hiccup silenced them and continued his speech. "And so I must ask you! Berkians and dragons! Would you let the sacrifice of your old chieftain be in vain?"

"NO!" the people of Berk bellowed in response, with the dragons also roaring in reply to Hiccup. Knowing Dragonese, Hiccup picked up one word from them.

_"NO!"_

Satisfied with their response, Hiccup's eyes turned to the light elves. "Elves of Lightwood, would you allow the orcs to return to burn your forests and slaughter your innocent? Your whole race!?"

"Never!"

"No!"

"Not in a thousand years!" one called out.

The elves' response was also loud and straightforward. They would not see their kingdom or their own kind burn to the orcs and their dark allies. They would rather fight.

Hiccup then turned his head to the dwarves.

"Dwarves of Khaz'ardul! Would you see your mighty and ancient city of old become ruined!? Would you let the orcs return to defile your halls of stone and butcher your people!?"

"No!"

"Nay!"

"Argh! Those damned orcs can kiss meh buttocks!" exclaimed a dwarf, making nearly all of the other dwarves laugh.

Still, everyone's response was in agreement. They all despised the orcs.

"You all see now that not a single one of us is alone in this!" he announced loudly. "And thus a decision has been made! Our three races with the help of dragons will be united into the first Midgardian alliance! An alliance which has never been made - until this very moment!"

"And so I ask you, people of Midgard; What do you say!?"

It took a moment for the vikings, elves, and dwarves to reply, but then a few voices spoke up from each race.

"We'll avenge Stoick, chieftain!" called out a Berkian, earning many ayes from the other vikings.

"Let us kick their behinds all the way back tae the Hel tha' spawned 'em!" roared a dwarf, earning cheers from a large group of dwarves.

Finally, an elf called out to the young chieftain. "Lead us against them, Hiccup!"

What followed were many voices chanting Hiccup's name. Not just from the Berkians, but from everyone. They were all on the literal verge of cheering.

"HICCUP! HICCUP! HICCUP! HICCUP!" they all chanted.

Hiccup let out a light exhale as a wind of relief blew in his face. He turned his head back to the others who stood behind him, and they gave him a proudful nod. The riders especially were proud of him.

"Show 'em who's boss, H," smirked Tuffnut.

Hiccup grinned, turning his head back around to the chanting crowds as he took a single step forward, firmly raising a fist up into the air. The crowds boomed in applause, and the dragons roared loudly along with their alpha Night Fury.

"WE STAND TOGETHER! FOR ODIN AND THE ALLIANCE OF MIDGARD!" he roared inspiringly, to which the three races all bellowed in response:

"FOR THE ALLIANCE OF MIDGARD!"

* * *

**Kind of an inspiration from the Last Alliance in LOTR and the Alliance from Warcraft, but this was planned from the start of the story.**

**Also, this last scene in the chapter was heavily inspired by the ending scene from the Warcraft movie. Not exactly my cup of tea of inspiration when it comes to this story as I'm more of a LOTR fan, but still, I thought it was epic.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading! **

**An****d until next chapter!**


	23. Planning The Campaign

"We can't attack the Dark Legions straight on like my father did. If the Alliance is to stand a chance, we need to weaken them before they can bolster their numbers, but to do that, we need more men."

Hiccup and the others all stood circled around the war-table within the great hall, discussing their next course of action. It was the same stone table Stoick used when Berk was at war against the dragons under the Red Death years ago, and it had been a long time since it was officially used...

But now the time had come once again.

In front of the young chieftain laid a map of all of Midgard, which showed the Archipelago in the center, along with all the three major land masses in the east, west, and north; the eastern continent of Scalmodan, the western continent of Lardalor, and the northern continent of Valnr - which was where Arn came from, as well as the enemy.

Valnr was their main focus, and it would be there where their war would take place.

The continent was divided into two by a mountain range that expanded towards the east and west. Whilst the northern part of Valnr was occupied by the Dark Legions, the south was where Arn's tribe was based.

But even then, Hiccup was not so certain where to start.

"Hmm... I don't know where exactly we should make the first move. I'm not familiar with this continent," he said, now looking up at Arn who stood to his left.

"But you are, Arn. Valnr is your home after all."

"Indeed," said Arn, glancing down at the map. "The only way we can defeat the Dark Legions is if we kick them out of the south, and drive them back into the north beyond the Obsidian Mountains; the range that divides the continent..."

"But Hiccup's right about what he said. The numbers we currently have aren't good enough to weaken them. The Alliance of Midgard is not strong enough right now… though I may have a solution."

"Eh? Is that so?" asked Gobber from across the table, to which Arn nodded.

"The Alsworn Tribe is not the only faction found in Southern Valnr that can help the Alliance. There are three other factions that would perhaps be willing to help us, _if_ you can persuade them. Two of them are elven and dwarven, and the other is composed of a race that none of you here know. They call themselves the votun."

"Together, our factions have kept stability in Valnr for the longest time, and for the most-part, their leaders were good friends to my father. But unlike the Alliance of Midgard, we never officially united. We merely remained distant allies."

"More dwarves?" gasped Morgrim as he bellowed in laughter. "Haha! I will enjoy meetin' their king!"

Hiccup's mind flooded with ideas at the mentioning of these new factions. Could they really pull it off?

"What can we do to earn their trust?" he asked, heavily intrigued.

"I am not sure... But if you want, I can tell you more about the terrain of the continent, as well as where each faction is and what they do. It'll make it easier for us to make our way around when we get there, and you'll know what to expect," replied Arn, now pointing his finger down at the map.

Hiccup gave a nod. "Might as well. Go ahead, then," he replied as both he and everyone in the room went silent.

Arn cleared his throat, tracing his hand over the map.

"I'll make it short; Unlike the average island or continent one may find on Midgard, Valnr is a land known for various landscapes, as well as weather that changes constantly. In the center of Southern Valnr lies the capital of the Alsworn Tribe - Aesilgard; a city built against a mountain that was named after the Aesir. As for the other factions, their capitals are quite spread out across Valnr, so once we arrive, don't expect the journey to be swift."

"Though if you want, I can give you some background information about them."

The young chieftain crossed his arms. "Tell me about the votun."

"I think the votun will interest you," nodded Arn. "They are among the strongest warriors in all of Valnr, residing in the most southwestern part of the continent, within a region known as Votunheim. They are half-giant humans with muscles that are harder than the strongest rock, standing at twice the height of an average man. They are part of the Dragonskarn Tribe, which for hundreds of years has been known for monster-hunting, making them a fierce but proud and protective race."

"Their chieftain, Ragnar, knew my father well, and was perhaps the closest friend to him. If we can get him and the votun to join the Alliance, the Dark Legions' monsters will stand little chance against us."

Hiccup gave a look of approval as his eyes continously gazed over the map. "Hmm… can you tell me about the elves next?"

"Thought you'd never ask," grinned Arn as his finger landed on a spot west of Aesilgard.

"The light elves of Valnr reside west of Aesilgard. They have the most disciplined army on the continent, and have an aim towards fighting for peace. They are part of the kingdom of Nordell, which is known for it's creative use of magic, making the elves of that realm a very intelligent people."

"Their king, Elendar, is quite a unique elf - especially since he is known for having a surprisingly close relation with the dwarven king. If the elves of Nordell join us, we'll have another disciplined army behind us."

Lornduil from across the room smirked with a nod. "Meeting their king will be an honor."

"And that leaves only one faction left," said Arn as he pointed towards a mountain north of Aesilgard.

"The dwarves that live in the mountain-city of Dalgard are Valnr's best engineers and smithies. Their kingdom out of all the others have been attacked by the orcs the most, and ever since they came, the dwarves have been hard at work building weapons and machines of war. However, they are also known for forging the strongest armor on the continent; a steel-like metal that the dwarves call _m__idgarite."_

"As for their ruler, the mountain-king Kharinz is known to be a hearty dwarf, but the last time I heard from him was a year ago. The dwarves say he's dealing with a problem, and it's one that I don't know of. Personally, I think if we can help him with this mysterious problem, we may be able to get him to join us. We'll have enough fire power to push the enemy back."

"Hah! Ya can bet yerself on tha' one!" laughed Morgrim.

"So Hiccup," said Arn. "What do you think?"

The young chieftain remained uncertain. After hearing all that Arn had to say about the other factions inhabiting the continent, it was hard to choose who to go for.

However, he was intrigued mostly in the votun. They were half-giants who were both human and giant put into one. If they got them to join the Alliance first, they would have an excellent head-start.

To Hiccup, it only made sense.

The lad's eyes narrowed up to Arn. "The votun seem like our best option to go for first. You said yourself that their chief was close to your father, so maybe they'll be the easiest to ally with. Maybe _you_ can even convince them."

"What of our own forces?" asked Astrid, who stood on Hiccup's right. "After the speech you made earlier today, we've managed to get more than three thousand of our people into the Alliance. The remaining two thousand villagers are farmers, workers, children, parents, and elderly."

"But as of right now, the vast majority of our warriors are not ready for combat."

"Well at least it's bigger," replied Hiccup, turning his head towards the elven and dwarven king. "And what about you guys? Do you plan to bring more men?"

"Aye!" loudly replied Morgrim. "Taemorrow the rest of Khaz'ardul's fleet will set sail. It'll take a week, but we'll have three thousand more dwarves in our Alliance!"

"The same goes for Lightwood," added Lornduil. "An army just as large sails from the realm, but it will take a week for the fleet to reach Berk as well."

Hiccup lightly sighed as he placed both of his hands against the table. "We don't have enough time to wait that long. We'll need to be in Valnr by then, and even with these numbers, eleven thousand won't be enough to start out with. We still need more men. Hel, maybe even more vikings."

"Don't worry. Once I get in contact with the Alsworn, I will order its forces to amass. I promise you," Arn assured him. "We'll have another six thousand vikings."

"But what about the Berserker and Outcast tribes?" asked Valka. "We could always try to convince them to help us with-"

"Our disputes with them has grown us an unfriendly reputation, mom," stated Hiccup. "They may have been attacked a few times by the orcs, but I still doubt Alvin and Dagur will help us."

"And speaking of problems, we still have one problem of our own that we need to deal with. Snotlout."

"Snotlout?" the riders disgustingly spoke in unison.

"But isn't he practically useless now? Most of his clan left him," stated Fishlegs, to which Hiccup shook his head.

"That maybe be so, Fishlegs, but Snotlout has to pay for what he's done. As long as he's in his village scheming some mad plan, or even my assassination, he's a danger. He must be dealt with."

"That includes his lap dogs Agatha, Wartihog, and Dogsbreath," Astrid added on.

"So how do we go by doing that?" asked Eret. "We only have three hundred vikings available at the moment, and he has managed to fortify the defenses of his town. My scouts reported that we only outnumber him by a hundred. We don't have enough."

"Have you forgotten about us?" asked Lornduil with a chuckle. "You vikings literally have a thousand elves and a thousand dwarves guarding your town."

"And as well as a fleet!" Morgrim pointed out. "This amateur Snotlout stands no chance, lad!"

"But what about his men?" asked Hiccup. "Sure they may be loyal to him, but I want to give some of them a chance to surrender. Plus, it's not them I'm going for. It's Snotlout."

And the young chieftain had a good reason for it.

When nearly all of Clan Jorgenson left to rejoin the Berkian Tribe, it was because they realized that Snotlout was just using them as puppets for his own gain. He led them not in the name of the clan, but in the name of himself, and when the storm that ruined much of Jorgenson Village came, that's when Snotlout showed his true colors when he started stealing food from his people to feed himself, and as well as their gold to pay the workers to repair his own hut and hall.

Everything bad that happened was not because of Clan Jorgenson, but because of Snotlout.

Morgrim stroked the bristles of his beard. "So d'ye want tae do then?"

"Take Snotlout by surprise," Hiccup answered. "We'll take the warriors we have available to attack him, but we'll also need more than that. Lornduil and Morgrim, I need you two to each lend over three hundred elven and dwarven warriors. The amount we'll have will make the attack on his village decisive and quick enough. I will lead them."

"Alright. And what is your plan of attack, chief?" asked Astrid, crossing her arms.

"We'll go through the main gates. It may seem stupid, but since they face towards the forests, we'll be able to use the woods to sneak up to the village without Snotlout knowing. His men won't expect us once we rush out and charge, and they'll be afraid when they see the elves and dwarves with us."

"...Also, I'll need something to fight with. Maybe an axe and shield for now until I can forge myself a proper sword."

"I'll have an axe and shield quickly ready for you, lad," winked and nodded Gobber.

"What about the dragons? Should we bring them along?" questioned Fishlegs.

"Only Toothless," Hiccup replied with his head shaking. "He is the best when it comes to stealth, and he can easily intimidate our enemies. One plasma blast from him, and I believe we should be able to take down the gate... Eret?"

"Should work," the older viking commented. "Though their walls and defenses are well fortified, their main gates are not. Set them on fire, and they'll break open like-"

"Hang on a moment!" interrupted Ruffnut. "So you're telling me; we're going to sneak up to the main gates of Snotlout's village, scare and beat the living Loki out of his men, and then rush through the town and deal with Snotlout?"

"Precisely. Except I want to give some of his men a chance to surrender."

"Nine hundred against two hundred," said Tuffnut as he lifted both hands up in a thumbs up. "Well what are we waiting for!?"

...

* * *

Snotlout stormed out of the great hall in a fit of anger with his sword and shield in hand. He marched towards the main gates with twelve men at his side, as well as Dogsbreath, Wartihog, and Agatha.

"Grr… how could four of our men just disappear?" he grunted as he walked hastily. "I ordered them to guard the gates, and you say they're _gone!?"_

"Like we said, we're unsure, Snotlout," replied Dogsbreath who carried a great axe over his shoulder. "I was told one of them went out into the woods for some reason - as if they saw something, and when they didn't return, three more followed. Only two warriors guarding the gate remained."

"Well now it's about to be fourteen," responded Snotlout.

Upon reaching the gates, Snotlout and his warriors climbed up the ladders leading atop the walls, and looked over into the forest for anything.

However, they saw nothing.

Snotlout angrily looked back Dogsbreath, Wartihog, and Agatha. "And you say they _saw _something!? I don't see anything there, you fools! Just forest!"

"We're just telling you what those two guards told us," replied Wartihog - pointing them out down below. "It's not like these woods have wolves or-"

Wartihog's head turned to face towards the woods, and before he could even finish, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he saw a bloody object flying through the air which landed in front of the two guards at the gates.

"Oh gods!" gagged one of them.

Upon closer examination, they realized that it was a head. A head that belonged to one of the missing four guards.

"What the…" gasped Snotlout. "What is going on here!?"

Suddenly three more bloody heads came flying out from the woods, likely belonging to the other three guards, as they too rolled towards the feet of both warriors down below.

And then it happened…

They heard screaming coming from the woods in the distance, and as Snotlout looked closer he saw a group of familiar figures, moving fast towards them; one of them he recognized.

"Haddock!?"

He spotted Hiccup with an axe and shield in hand as he was swiftly charging the two guards in front of the gates, and at his side were Toothless, Astrid, Arn, Fishlegs, and the Twins - roaring with their weapons in hand.

"CHARGE!" bellowed Hiccup.

What came next totally shocked Snotlout as he heard more battle cries follow. Looking behind them, he saw what he thought was the impossible.

He saw a large group of vikings, elves, and dwarves rushing hastily for the gates. Soon he realized what he saw was no ordinary warband, but an army of nine hundred. An army of three races he thought would never work together, and they just kept on coming.

But that was just the start.

"CALL ALL THE GUARDS TO THE GATE. NOW!" yelled Snotlout.

As Hiccup rushed the two guards in front of him, his legs began running faster and his feet started to stomp harder. Upon closing in on the first guard, he rose his axe up and then brought it down...

* * *

**Looks like a certain someone is about to get utterly beaten into the ground next chapter. **

**Also, just for a fun helpful tip, to those who do not know how to say Valnr, it is pronounced V-All-Ner. This is just for you guys if you need it!**

**Anyways though, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	24. Getting Revenge

"Now, let's do something about Berk's little vermin problem…"

The front gates of Jorgenson Village were easily taken care of, blasted down by Toothless which caused Snotlout and his lackeys to retreat back to the hall. But the fun was only beginning.

As the young chieftain and the rest of the gang entered through the gates, a swarm of thirty Jorgenson warriors came rushing towards them - armed and ready.

Astrid, Arn, Fishlegs, and the Twins were ready to charge them, but Hiccup raised his hand up - ordering them to hold.

"Uh, Hiccup?!" Astrid called out concerningly, but Hiccup just lifted both arms up to his sides, as if he wanted them to charge.

As the thirty guards were closing in, it was then that four arrows were shot from behind by a few elven archers - getting direct head-shots on four of the warriors.

The Jorgenson warriors, upon seeing this, halted their charge, only for Hiccup to bellow loudly, "ATTACK!"

Hiccup and the others hastily rushed towards the enemy vikings as the berkians, elves, and dwarves came flooding through the gate and began running through the town, with some of them assisting their leader.

The fight had now begun.

As the young chieftain of Berk brought his axe up and around, the Jorgenson warrior he clashed with made a quick block with his shield and attempted to strike, only for Hiccup to raise his own shield up in response as he used it to push the large viking's weapon to the side which in turn also moved his arm away and created an opening too wide for the warrior to block with his shield - exposing him for Hiccup to attack as the lad lobbed his axe into his right shoulder and chest - quickly taking care of him and tossing him aside.

Being the leader of the Wings of Midgard however, Hiccup also used his fiery magics against the Jorgenson warriors. At one point, one of them attempted to pounce onto the lad, but with his deep anger, he conjured up a fireball and blasted the warrior away at point-blank range in his face, searing him gruesomely as he laid on the ground screaming and burning.

Hiccup's voice then rose up for the others to hear. "Remember to use your magic, guys! We are the Wings of Midgard! So show them who we are!"

"You can't be serious! We don't even know any spells!" replied Astrid who was holding her ground.

"Just get angry! Angrier than you've ever been before! Imagine yourself on fire, and let it out!"

Astrid took this into note as she fought. The lass was striking hard with her axe as it met with the shield of a shieldmaiden who attempted to knock the berkian over using her body weight by ramming into her with her shield up, but as the Jorgenson warrior was about to do so, Astrid immediately pulled her axe back and dodged to the side, causing the enemy shieldmaiden to charge at nothing but thin air before falling face-first towards the ground.

Astrid now stood behind her, and she planned to make it quick with her.

As a Wing of Midgard, she took Hiccup's advice of casting fire magic and she began to get angry. Very angry. Slowly she felt her hand start to heat up through tension as if it was on fire, and in the palm of her hand a spark lit up until it turned into a flame. The enemy shieldmaiden had meanwhile finally gotten back up on her two feet and rotated towards Astrid, preparing to charge.

But it was too late.

"FÚRE!" Astrid furiously bellowed as she launched a fireball at the shieldmaiden, setting her aflame as the spell exploded and hurled her quite a distance back which took her out. Indeed she was lucky to remember what Hiccup chanted when they fought Drago's golem.

"Heh. I think I'm already getting the hang of this!"

Meanwhile, Fishlegs as he fought was already angry. Angrier than he had ever been. He swung his hammer and bashed with his shield against the opponents that came before him, and while fighting, he imagined his weapon was on fire - and using his anger he was able to channel his rage and creatively ignited his hammer aflame, making things more dangerous for his foes.

"Well that's new!" he chuckled.

At one point he struck his hammer so hard against one of the Jorgenson warriors' heads that it actually dented through their helmet and cracked their skull in multiple places, making the blow lethal. Though Fishlegs was not much of a spellcaster, he definitely knew how to heat things up like a warrior.

While Fishlegs like everyone else was rolling over them like an angry dragon, the Twins on the other hand were not exactly the best at thinking out their strategies. So when they fought, they fought together as one, and with some effort they were able to take down their foes. One would distract, and the other would strike. Being Thorstons however, they took down their enemies in brutal ways.

At one point, Tuffnut even tried to mimic the others and cast a spell, but instead he ended up setting his right foot on fire, nearly burning it.

"OW OW OW! MY FOOT!" screamed Tuffnut as he stomped his foot into the ground, eventually putting it out. "I HATE YOU, MAGIC!"

Ruffnut rolled her eyes. "Oh stop whining already!"

All while the group fought, Arn was having a situation of his own. The Alsworn heir struggled to keep up against a rather large Jorgenson warrior who came out of nowhere and suddenly began to attack him. Arn struck at the viking, but their weapons became weapon-locked, and the large man started pushing his great axe against the lad's sword which was now leaning closer and closer to Arn's face, and to this he knew he was in deep trouble.

He couldn't use magic. He was no Wing of Midgard. So what could he do?

It was then that in that moment that Arn saw a fireball from his right hurl towards the warrior's legs, causing sparks to fly as the large man backed up from the lad. He felt like he was stung by electricity.

Looking to his right, Arn saw Hiccup whose hands were burning with flames. The young chieftain gave a nod as he turned his back and continued fighting on.

Suddenly Arn saw his moment. He quickly turned around and advanced on the enemy warrior, making light but swift attacks that were too quick for the large man to counter. Arn started from the viking's legs, striking from the sides until he made his way up to the waist and chest. This time he struck and stabbed forward, slicing and dicing cuts all across the man's upper body.

At one point the Jorgenson warrior tried to perform a "deadly" attack by swinging in a complete circle, to which Arn viewed it as one of the most ridiculous attacks he had ever seen. When the warrior's back was turned to him, he knew the man had exposed himself, and that's when the young viking struck.

Using the strength in his leg, he pushed the larger viking into a nearby brazier - sending him crashing hard into it and setting him ablaze. The man screamed in pain as he landed on his back and began rolling around, trying to put himself out.

Arn then performed his finishing move. He marched over, making a swift and decisive attack as he brought his sword down upon the viking's head, decapitating him from his burning body.

"Well… at least that's done with."

Time went on, and it was by this point that the enemy's numbers started to drop. Even as more came in to back them up, they just stood no chance. The remaining Jorgenson warriors who fought with Hiccup and the group began to throw down their weapons, raising their arms up in defeat. They realized now that what they were up against was no ordinary force.

They were out of their league.

What placed the nail in the coffin for them was when an overconfident group of them tried to run down Hiccup and the gang, but Toothless, who was standing near his rider, fired a quick and simple yet deadly plasma blast at the charging Jorgenson warriors, easily taking them out as he had done with those who he had beaten into the ground.

It was clear there was no way for them to fight back without getting themselves slaughtered. Fifty of them were already dead. There was no point.

"W- Wait! We surrender!" one called out as he fell to his knees, and soon the rest followed. It was by then that a large group of fifty vikings, elves, and dwarves came in with their weapons pointed at them. There was no way to fight. If they refused to surrender there and then, it would be a slaughter.

Hiccup and the group stood victorious over their defeated foes, but the fight was far from over.

The young chieftain looked back at his forces with a nod. "All of you, hold this position and make sure our 'prisoners' here don't escape. Ruff, Tuff, I want you two to stay here as well."

"You got it, chief," Tuffnut snickered as he shifted to look towards their surrendered foe as if he was going to do something wicked to them.

"Oh brother," Hiccup facepalmed - now glancing down at Toothless. "Bud, remain here with them and make sure they don't touch the prisoners, all right?"

_"All right," _huffed the Night Fury. _"Just… be careful with Snotlout, alright?"_

"I will, bud."

"Wait, what about us?" asked Astrid, gesturing towards Fishlegs, Arn, and herself. "What do you want us to do?"

"You four are coming with me," he nodded. "Snotlout and his lackeys need to be taken care of…"

...

* * *

"MY TOWN IS BURNING! DAMN THOSE GUARDS FOR BEING COWARDS!"

Snotlout paced furiously back and forth in his great hall. He was angry, but also afraid. Not only were hundreds of vikings, elves, and dwarves running through his town burning the town and killing his warriors, but many of them were surrendering. They were _his _loyal guards, and now they were backing down.

"Our soldiers are scattered throughout the town," stated Dogsbreath worryingly. "More than half of our warriors have been slain, and now we're exposed! We need to do something!"

"Might I recommend that dragon of ours?" Agatha suggested as she pointed to Hookfang who laid in the shadows, chained in the corner of the room. "He's been a useless reptile for quite a long time. Maybe it's time we make use out of him."

"Use the Nightmare to destroy our enemies?" snickered Wartihog wickedly. "Now that'll be something!"

_"What...? No! Please no..."_ weakly crooned Hookfang in Dragonese.

Snotlout rubbed against the bristles of his stubbled facial hair as he thought about it. It was true that he had broken Hookfang into submission to where the dragon would be forced to do whatever his "rider" wanted him to do, but at the same time, Hookfang did not want to do what Snotlout commanded him. So what could be done?

...Suddenly there was a large _THUD_ at the doors of the great hall as if an axe was hurled at them. Curiously, Snotlout turned around and began to walk towards them, but not before ordering his lackeys, Dogsbreath, Wartihog, and Agatha to follow.

"You three, with me," he ordered, now unsheathing his sword and shield.

Upon opening the doors and hastily making his way out, he saw that there was indeed an axe buried in one of the doors. But in front of both him and the others, there stood four figures glaring him down.

There was Astrid, Fishlegs, Arn, and of course his nemesis. Hiccup.

"Hiccup…" he growled as the young chieftain of Berk stepped forward, gripping both his axe and shield.

"Face me, Snotlout!" angrily spat Hiccup. "Answer for your crimes!"

At first, Snotlout gave no reaction to Hiccup's words… until a smirk formed on his face which grew into a wicked grin as he made a taunt with his sword and shield.

"Hah! Come on in then!"

Snotlout and his henchmen marched their way back into the great hall, and soon, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Arn followed in - angrily staring down the four rats that had plagued Berk for long enough.

As soon as they were all in, both groups lined up on opposite sides of the room, ready to run at each other and beat the Helheim out of one another. However, it would all go down to both Hiccup and Snotlout.

Who would win, and who would die.

Without another word and as soon as they were in position, both sides ran at each other and clashed. It was Hiccup against Snotlout, Astrid against Agatha, Fishlegs against Wartihog, and Arn against Dogsbreath.

For the most part, the fight was in favor for the gang's side. The four skilled warriors fought using their speed, skill, and brains to counter the stronger Jorgenson vikings that they were up against. Yet the same could not be said for Hiccup and Snotlout.

The two bashed their shields against one another, swinging their weapons with precision and attacking with whatever advantage they could use to beat one another. One moment Snotlout would be advancing on Hiccup, aiming to push him into the wall as he vigorously slashed and sliced his sword at the scrawny viking, and then in another moment, Hiccup would be using his more polished and perfected melee fighting skills in an attempt to pin down Snotlout so he could finish him.

But the battle just seemed too even.

"All I did in the past..." growled Snotlout as their weapons locked before breaking it and continuing his assault. "I DID, FOR BERK!"

"YOU BETRAYED BERK!" spat Hiccup, slicing his axe across Snotlout's right arm and making a successful strike which made him nearly drop his sword. "You accused us for killing your father when we had nothing to do with it! You nearly tore this island apart! You tricked half of Berk into joining you, only to make them your puppets and slaves!"

"You have no proof of that!" responded Snotlout as he pushed Hiccup back with his shield. "I could've led Clan Jorgenson to a better future! But you ruined it!"

"Oh really?" he asked. "The people who were exiled and left you told me everything! You feasted, while all around you they starved! You also left many of them without homes, and you even slaughtered INNOCENTS who had done nothing wrong! You have proven time and again what you are - and that is a failure!"

"Those _"innocents" _who died can rot in Helheim and kiss my boots in the afterlife for all I care! But if you are so sympathetic to them, I will gladly let you JOIN THEM!"

Snotlout let out a roar as he brought his sword down from above - aiming for Hiccup's head, but the lad rose his shield up to defend himself and blocked the attack before roughly kicking Snotlout at his shin with his prosthetic foot, causing him to back up and retreat his weapon as he hissed in pain. Before being able to react however, Snotlout found himself on the ground as Hiccup used his shield and body weight and pushed Snotlout to the floor.

Hiccup was ready to strike down Snotlout there and then. Using his strength, he brought his axe down in an arcing attack, but Snotlout quickly rolled to his right and dodged it. He then hastily stood to his feet and struck with the tip of his sword, aiming for Hiccup's heart. The lad in response rose his axe up, and with a strong parry, he countered the sword away, causing Snotlout to back up from the force of the strike. This left him wide and opened however as the young chieftain then lobbed his weapon into him - near his right shoulder.

Snotlout screamed at the painful sensation as blood began to drip down. He dropped his shield, leaving himself with just his sword as he held his left hand against the wound.

"You… you think you can- beat me!?" he chuckled. "You have forgotten who here has a Nightmare on their side… HOOKFANG!"

The sudden sound of chains was heard as a large, pale red winged figure very slowly stepped out of the corner of the great hall. Upon looking up at Hookfang, Hiccup felt completely awful for him. The poor dragon was chained by his neck and feet in a miserable way, and his physical appearance nearly broke his heart. Not only did he look weak and starving, but his eyes and expression gave out one thing; and that was sadness. A painful sadness.

Never had he seen a dragon before like this.

"What… what have you done to your dragon!?" shouted Hiccup, not even minding the fighting going on around him. "You've broken Hookfang, Snotlout! Look at him! He's weak and starving!"

"Heh, he's hungry for you," wickedly chuckled Snotlout. "Once he lights you ablaze, I'll let him feast on you!"

"And you think he wants this!?"

Hiccup was utterly disgusted. What he did to Hookfang made him hate Snotlout even more. Knowing Dragonese, he could even hear the dragon begging for his torture to stop.

_"Please… stop…" _whimpered Hookfang. _"I don't want to hurt Hiccup! Please let me go!"_

Snotlout laughed amusingly. "Do you hear that? He's ready to burn you!" he said. But not knowing Dragonese, he clearly did not understand a single thing.

"You're wrong, Snotlout," Hiccup replied, shaking his head. "You do not understand dragons like I do. I can understand Hookfang's words. And all I hear from him is a broken dragon! He only wants to be free, and you're trying to make him kill me. But I know well that he doesn't want that."

_"What…?" _crooned Hookfang curiously. _"How do you understand what I'm saying?"_

"I'll tell you about it when you're freed, Hookfang. For now you have to break out! Fight back! Don't let Snotlout control you!"

"Haha! You can't turn my own pet against me, Useless! Hookfang is mine! He was never yours!"

"And you have lost the right to be his rider," said Hiccup as he still tried bolstering Hookfang on. "Come on, Hookfang! Show Snotlout who the real fighter is!"

_"I… I'm too weak… not enough… fire…"_

Hookfang lacked the flames he needed to make a single spark. This was a similar situation back when Snotlout had worked Hookfang too hard, and as such, he had lost the ability to light his fire until he was lit back up by the Fireworm Queen. The same was happening here. The question was, how could Hiccup reignite his fire?

Quickly, an idea came to mind.

Hiccup's eyes glanced back at Snotlout, but with a glare.

"Heh, getting angry now, Useless? Is your plan not going as you wanted it?"

Snotlout however would regret his words. What he saw next was something he did not expect, and in Hiccup's glowing eyes he saw fire beginning to burn. Pure hate started to rush through him, and soon his hands began moving in circles as the young chieftain, the leader of the Wings of Midgard, began to conjure up fire.

"You've messed with me for the last time," said Hiccup, his voice echoing as Snotlout began to back up. The flames in Hiccup's hands became brighter and brighter, and the moment they were at their peak, Hiccup made his move.

Rather than aiming at Snotlout however, he aimed towards Hookfang and channeled a beam of fiery magic into the dragon, attempting his best to heat him up. One would assume that Snotlout would make his move and attack, but he simply stood there and watched in disbelief. _'Is this really happening?'_ he thought.

After Hiccup finished channeling however, Snotlout stared back at him and laughed. "Hah! You completely missed me, Useless!"

"Did I now?"

What came was unexpected for Snotlout. Hookfang's pale color turned back into a vibrant shade of red. The Monstrous Nightmare suddenly felt his strength returning, and upon standing on both his feet and stretching out his wings, he roared.

_"I've… had… ENOUGH!" _he bellowed, now glaring at Snotlout.

"H- Hookfang!? he stuttered, lifting his hands up as if it was in surrender. "L- Listen! We can talk about this- we- you don't have to hurt me! Please, Fangster?"

_"You can't lie to me this time," _growled Hookfang despite Snotlout not being able to understand him. _"But I feel like things are about to get very hot."_

"Uh oh…"

The angered and reignited Monstrous Nightmare's mouth and nostrils filled with smoke. The back of his throat lit up in a raging inferno as he opened his mouth and unleashed a firestorm onto Snotlout; a firestorm of pain that the arrogant viking had given him for months without end, and now it was time to turn the tables.

Snotlout screamed as he was set on fire, dropping his sword. The flames burnt mostly at his chest, but began slowly spreading. Without thinking, he immediately ran for the doors of the hall and rushed out as fast as he could, running towards the stables nearby where the horses' large drinking trough was. Luckily for him, it was filled up, and without any hesitation, he dived in and allowed the water to soak out the flames.

Surprisingly, he did not receive any severe injuries, but parts of his chest and limbs were seared, and patches of his clothing were ripped, tattered, and burnt.

He let out a sigh as he laid there like a pig. Some of the pain soon began to reside, but as he looked up from where he laid, he saw Hiccup standing before him, holding his axe to his throat.

With Hiccup as the victor, he had the chance to kill Snotlout there and then, and end it. With just a hack of his axe at the Jorgenson's neck, he could decapitate him. Yet as he looked down at Snotlout, who had a broken face of defeat along with his hands up in surrender, he knew it was not worth it.

Instead, Hiccup roughly grabbed Snotlout by the collar of his ripped and burnt tunic and pulled him out of the trough, tugging him towards the front of his great hall. He then pushed him to the ground on his back, and with the hard hilt of his weapon, he bashed it against Snotlout's forehead and made a quick effort of knocking him out.

The Jorgenson's world went black.

Hiccup crouched down to Snotlout who was unconscious. "You don't deserve a death... Instead, I will make sure you-"

"Hiccup!"

Astrid's voice rose up as she came marching out of the great hall with Fishlegs and Arn, and in their grasp they dragged bloodied and beatened figures. Except… they were brutally slain.

Agatha was hacked in the shoulders and in the side of her chest by Astrid's axe. Wartihog's skull was broken in six places, and his brain was crushed in - all thanks to Fishlegs and his mighty hammer. And Dogsbreath was stabbed many times in the chest by Arn's sword, and his arms were also both broken.

They were literally nothing but husks of corpses.

Astrid, Fishlegs, and Arn dropped their lifeless bodies to the ground, and Hiccup gave a look of approval.

"We're finished here," he said, receiving nods from them. "Clan Jorgenson is no more."

"What are your orders, chief?" asked Fishlegs.

"Rally everyone up and prepare to march back to town, and make sure to get Hookfang freed. Any of Snotlout's warriors who have surrendered will be given a proper trial… but I have other things planned for him."

"And I guess that's it then?" asked Arn.

Hiccup shook his head. "Well, not exactly. I actually want to speak with you when we get back to town, Arn. I need to talk with you about something..."


	25. Making A Change

What followed after the battle lifted a weight from the Berkian Tribe's shoulders.

Jorgenson Village was burned to the ground, and thus came Clan Jorgenson's end. Any of Snotlout's men who had surrendered were taken prisoner, placed on a quick but fair trial, and in the end they were all judged to be exiled from Berk - never to return.

As for Snotlout however, Hiccup had other plans for him as the young chieftain and the group made their way to Gothi's hut, where the Elder resided.

Upon entering the hut, they carried and laid Snotlout's unconscious body on the table, but the others looked at Hiccup with uncertainty.

Gothi, who sat across the room away from the table, gave a glare of disgust as her eyes laid on Snotlout. Still, she stood up from her chair and walked over to inspect him.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked Astrid. "We don't even know if Gothi can-"

"We have to try," replied Hiccup, despite what the others thought. "I know you guys don't like what he's done, but if there is a chance that this can work, we just may have him back."

Astrid and the others gave a nod, and as soon as Gothi finished getting a good glance at Snotlout's battered state, she proceeded to pick up a nearby sack of dirt for writing and poured it down on the floor in front of her.

Taking her staff, she then began to scribble down her markings.

_'Give me a good reason why you brought this traitor here before I get my Gronckle to throw him into the sea," _she wrote down aggressively.

Hiccup placed his hands up protest. "I know you hate him for what he's done, Gothi, but I think there's a chance of redemption for him. And that's why I came to you. You're one of the most powerful spellcasters and healers on this island, thus I believe you can do this."

Gothi arched a brow as she continued writing with her staff onto the flattened pile of dirt. _'And what do you want me to do, exactly?'_

There was a bit of a pause as Hiccup tilted his head to the side and glanced back at the others. Though they were unsure if this could work, or even if it was possible, they still had to see if Gothi could do it.

Hiccup's eyes then turned back to Gothi. "I was wondering if you could use your magic to erase one year of Snotlout's memories, starting some time after the defeat of Drago's Bewilderbeast."

_'Erase a year of his memories?' _she wrote down in response. _'...I suppose I could try something, but I cannot guarantee it will work. Casting such a ritual may take a while, maybe even a day.'_

"It's still worth giving it a try," said Hiccup as his eyes narrowed down to Snotlout. "If we can manage to erase _that_ _one year_ of Snotlout's memories, he will not remember who he blamed for his father's death. He will have no memory of going against us or splitting off from the tribe. We'll be able to bring the old Snotlout back."

_'But he will still be hated by everyone when he wakes up, will he not?'_

"It will take some time for him to regain their trust, or even reconvince them all that he's changed, but at least the Dragon Riders will be whole again."

"You're also going to have to get him up to speed," Astrid stated to Hiccup. "It's going to be a long story for him."

"Don't forget about Hookfang," mentioned Fishlegs. "He's still a bit shakened. After all that Snotlout did to him, he is still somewhat fearful of him, even after standing up against him during the battle. He needs to eat and rest."

"Arn and I can always convince him," said Hiccup. "We both know Dragonese. We can comfort him."

"Uhh, what about us?" Tuffnut replied with a gesture towards himself and the others. "When are _we _gonna learn Dragonese?"

"Yeah! I wanna know what my dragon is saying," nodded Ruffnut.

"You guys will get your chance soon enough," Arn responded assuringly. "Right now we have more important things to do. We still need to train our men and prepare the Alliance of Midgard for war. Along with that, we must also ready ourselves for our voyage to Valnr."

"Agreed," Hiccup nodded. "So, do you think you can do it, Gothi?"

The elder rubbed her chin as she thought about it. Though it did not take long, she gave him a nod as she wrote in the dirt, _'I'll do it. Just give me a day, and that will be all the time I need in order to remove his memories.'_

Hiccup smiled in appreciation. "Thank you, Gothi. That's all we'll need from you for now."

"Alright... So what do we do now?" asked Astrid.

"You guys can all go mind your own business and tend to your dragons," he replied as his eyes shifted towards Arn. "However, I would like to speak with you, Arn. In private."

He gave a nod. "Is it something important?"

"I guess you could say that," replied Hiccup. "It's something I would like to ask of you…"

…

* * *

Arn sat in a chair with his sword unsheathed and presented to Hiccup who was sitting opposite from him near his desk. He was unsure what the young chieftain had in mind - or even what his blade had to do with what the lad was thinking.

Hiccup meanwhile was inspecting the sword from tip to hilt. He remembered when he first laid eyes upon it, and back then he did not take much note into it. But now he was intrigued with the design of it.

Even Toothless, who laid atop the rock he slept on, slowly came over to look at the sword, and even sniffed it as if he was a dog or a hound. He too was now interested.

_"Wow! Shiny!" _he warbled in Dragonese.

Arn's sword was one with an unusual look. As Hiccup saw before, the hilt had a blue gem placed in the center of it. It's crossguard was carved out to look like a dragon's wings. It had a wider than average blade - yet it was still somewhat long. And of course, there were runes on the blade itself that went from top to bottom.

It's metal looked like silver, but it was too tough and sturdy to be so. Hiccup could only assume one thing.

"Is this blade made out of midgarite?" he asked. "You know, the same metal that the dwarves in Valnr use."

"Aye," nodded Arn. "This sword's called Runefang. My father gave it to me as a gift on my eighteenth birthday before he died. He told me that the dwarves forged it long ago with the help of the Three Guardians of Valnr - three ancient and powerful guardians of the elements who used their magics of fire, ice, and lightning to give the blade the strength it has today. Unfortunately, it does not have any magic in it. My father's story was just a legend... but the guardians are no legends."

Hiccup rose a brow. "How would you know it doesn't have any magic? Did you try to-"

Arn nodded his head. "I tried everything, but nothing happened. Not a single sign of magic. My father even spoke with the Alsworn's archmage, but he said there wasn't even a spark of energy in it. Still, at least it's a strong sword."

"...Though I must ask, why exactly do you want to know about my sword? It's just a blade made out of strong metal."

A smirk appeared on Hiccup's face as his idea finally came to him. It was one he had been thinking about all day - and ever since his old weapon broke, he had wanted a replacement.

"I want you to help me reforge Inferno," he answered requestingly. "Except I don't want it to be how it was before, as it would just easily break again. Instead, I want it to be like your sword. Almost like a… twin blade if that makes sense."

"A twin weapon?" asked Arn, who was slightly unsure. "I- I don't know, Hiccup. I don't think we can make it as strong as Runefang. Berk doesn't have any midgarite we can mine, and even if it did, we would have to-

"There's no need to worry about the metal," Hiccup replied assuringly. "I've got something strong enough that we can use as a replacement in the stead of midgarite. On Berk, we call it Gronckle iron."

"Gronckle iron...? What kind of metal is that, exactly?"

"Well for that, you would need to ask Fishlegs," shrugged Hiccup. "He makes it with the help of Meatlug, plus he knows the recipe. Thankfully, we still have stacks of it left in Gobber's workshop, so maybe Gobber would be willing to lend us a hand. Still, I think three pairs of hands and a dragon are better than one."

"So what say you? Would you be up for it?"

Arn's mind was quickly made up. He began slowly nodding his head until Hiccup could see that he was up for it. He was fully in agreement. "Alright, I'll help you. As long as we can get it done in no time, we should be-"

"It may take longer than that, actually," stated Hiccup. "Grab a pickaxe. We're going to the mines to do some mining. Toothless, you're coming too."

The Night Fury gave a yawn as smoke escaped from his nostrils. _"This is going to be a long night."_

…

* * *

"Took more Gronckle iron than usual - especially for the blade, but I think it looks good," Gobber complimented.

Though the night had been long, the three vikings and their dragon had finally done it.

Hiccup's finished sword laid on the anvil in Gobber's workshop as the young chief, the blacksmith, Arn, and Toothless, all glanced down at it with proudful smirks and looks.

When compared side by side with Runefang, Hiccup's new blade looked almost exactly the same - with there being a few differences. Firstly, the blade was made out of Gronckle iron rather than midgarite, thus it had a lighter color.

Secondly, Hiccup's gem in the center of his sword's hilt was a purple crystal rather than a blue one like the one Arn had. It reminded him of the color of Toothless's plasma blast.

And then lastly, the runes on Hiccup's blade were different to Arn's, and with the help of their spellbook, they managed to spell out the word _dragon_ in runic. After all, it was _the_ Dragon Blade.

"So… how tough is this metal, exactly?" asked Arn intriguingly.

"Tough enough to cleave an iron blade in two if you put enough force into it," stated Hiccup. "Gronckle iron is a metal that is unlike most metals. It is very sturdy and almost never dulls. For years we have kept it's recipe a secret from our enemies, and so far, they have not the faintest idea of how to make it."

"...As for the blade, I've made an adjustment that adds a new feature to it. Although it isn't retractable, a single touch of fire on the blade will light it up in flames. I did this by melting down the metal before we shaped it, and then mixing it with Monstrous Nightmare gel."

"But does it work?" asked Gobber.

Hiccup shrugged as he took the sword from the anvil. "I guess we'll have to find out. Toothless?"

_"On it,"_ the dragon nodded with a warble.

The young chieftain proceeded to raise his blade out in front of him, close enough to where Toothless could softly light up his flames and spark up a small plasma blast. The Night Fury opened his mouth, letting out a purple glow before releasing a weak bolt of plasmic fire...

And with a fiery _ZAP, _the blade was lit.

Hiccup smiled in success. "Works beautifully just like the old one. I can't wait to test this out in battle."

"Hmph, that's sounds like a strange thing to say, lad - coming from your mouth," Gobber stated in a curious manner. "I've never seen you excited like this over a weapon before. But eh… how exactly do you put the fire out?"

"I made a sheathe for it," replied Hiccup, motioning with his hand towards the weapon sheathe on the right side of his waist. "It's made out of a sturdy leather, as well as Night Fury scales. Once I sheathe my weapon like so…"

Hiccup without rush slid the blade of his sword into it's sheathe, and just like so, the flames on it were put out with a snap of a finger.

"...It puts itself out. Because there's no air to keep the flame going, it goes out like _that."_

"Huh... Why didn't I ever think of making anything like that?" Arn asked himself, giving a slight shrug. "Guess I'm not one when it comes to crafting."

"Eh, you should've seen Hiccup when he was younger," chuckled Gobber. "The lad couldn't even lift a sword or axe, or even make a-"

"I think we get it, Gobber," interrupted Hiccup, slightly embarrassed at the mention of his past self. "I'd rather not talk about the past. We've moved on from that, and I want it to stay that way."

"If you say so, chief." nodded Gobber. "...So, what next is there to do?"

"From here on out, it's preparing for our journey to Valnr… as well as getting some sleep," Hiccup yawned. "The others and I have a long day tomorrow. Plus, there's still Snotlout we need to deal with. We can only hope Gothi's spell worked."

"Eh? What spell?" questioned Gobber.

"It's to erase some of his memories," answered Arn. "Snotlout will have no memory of going against us or even blaming us for killing his father. We'll finally be able to set his mind right… but I feel he'll be hurt once we tell him how his father was murdered that night."

Hiccup lightly sighed. "It's still worth it if that's what it takes to get the old Snotlout back. Many people may not be in agreement with this, but we need to reunite the Dragon Riders if we're to deal some real damage to the orcs. Even without one of us, we are weakened."

"And what if it doesn't work? What if he still remains his old wicked self?" asked Arn.

"I don't know... I don't know what else we could do. But if that happens, I feel like everyone will just be demanding for Snotlout's execution."


	26. Returning An Old Friend

"I'm telling you, Hookfang," said Hiccup, conversing with the Monstrous Nightmare. "Snotlout _will_ be himself again if this works. He will not be the monster that you had to deal with."

_"You can't be serious about this,"_ crooned Hookfang. _"Do you know how long Snotlout has tortured me? He's kept me chained up for months in his 'graagh!' of a great hall, and fed me little. He-"_

"Wait, his _what_ of a great hall?" asked Hiccup, turning to Arn.

"He said _ghetto_ of a great hall," Arn answered, translating for the young chief. "Regardless, Hiccup is still right, Hookfang. If there is by any means a chance of redemption for Snotlout, you should at least try to welcome it. Even now, Gothi still works to erase his memories to make him back into the Snotlout you knew before."

"Can't you at least trust us?"

_"Hmm…"_

For nearly the whole night the three of them had been conversing. It was by this point that the early hours of the next morning came, all while the majority of Berk was still asleep. Hiccup sat by the fire pit downstairs along with Arn and Hookfang who sat nearby, and the two lads were attempting to convince the dragon to place his trust back into Snotlout.

Yet the Monstrous Nightmare still had his doubts.

_"But what if it doesn't work?"_ Hookfang asked, huffing out air. _"Who will be my rider? Who will help look after me?"_

"If all goes wrong, I'm sure Gustav would be willing to help you out," replied Hiccup, to which Hookfang gave an uncomfortable look. There was no way in Odin he would accept him.

_"Please, anyone else BUT him."_

"Alright… well, then how about the other riders?" the young chief asked. "I'm sure they would be willing to look after you as much as Arn and I would, but only if Snotlout doesn't come around. Still, it'll be just like the good old days with you and all the other dragons together."

_"And I guess if Snotlout does go back to his original self,"_ continued Hookfang. _"I'll have to try and get along with him..."_

"If you can," nodded Arn. "And besides, Snotlout will feel lonely, because as of right now the entire town doesn't like him. Not even in the slightest."

"It's going to be a wake up call for him," replied Hiccup. "For one, I'll need to tell him that his father was murdered, and then of course I'm going to also have to tell him that we're going to war. But I don't even know how else he's going to react to-"

The silence of their conversation was suddenly disturbed. Hiccup and the others in the room heard two knocks at the door of the hut which to them was somewhat strange. Why would someone be up at this hour? In any case, _who_ could be up at this hour?

Hiccup slowly stood from his seat, walking over to the door with his mind in wonder on who it could be. It was unlikely for it to be Astrid or any of the other riders since they were still asleep, yet he had a feeling in his stomach that perhaps this was important.

Upon opening up, Hiccup saw it was Gothi who stood outside. Her eyes gave an odd expression as if she had a breakthrough of some sort.

"Gothi?" he asked. "W- What are you doing here? You had me tensed."

The elderly seer responded by quickly stepping to the side as she pointed out with her staff to another figure that stood behind her. Judging by their physical characteristics, Hiccup could tell who it was. Black hair, buffed muscles, shorter height… it was quite obvious.

Hiccup turned back to Arn and Hookfang. "Leave us. Now," he said, and swiftly but quietly, the two began to make their way upstairs to Hiccup's room, barely making a noise.

Looking back to Gothi, she then gave him a nod as she proceeded to walk off, leaving him alone with Snotlout Jorgenson who came forward with an almost worried and intimidated look on his face. "Hiccup… what's going on? Why is there a fleet docked outside our harbor? ...W- Where's Hookfang?"

Immediately it dawned upon Hiccup that Gothi's ritual had worked. Snotlout could not remember a single thing that he did, and because of that, he did not know what was going on.

"Y- You've finally awoken from your coma, Snotlout," he said, to which the Jorgenson gave a surprised and bewildered look.

"W- What? I was in a coma…?" he asked. "How long has it been? How did I-"

"You were unconscious for nearly a year, Snotlout," responded Hiccup. "You got into a… flying accident with Hookfang, and it sent you into a deep coma. But many things happened while you were gone."

Snotlout felt his heart sink, and his worry went up. This could not be happening. This could not be real. How did he get into an accident? What happened while he was out?

"...What happened Hiccup?" he repeated. "Where is my dragon? I need to-!"

"Your dragon is safe," nodded Hiccup, until his expression suddenly changed as he then said, "But there's something I need to tell you, about both your father and as well as what has happened to Berk."

"All I can say is, I'm sorry…"

…

* * *

After inviting Snotlout inside, the two sat by the fire pit as Hiccup had a long conversation with him, getting him up to date.

He told Snotlout about all that had happened. How a new race, the orcs, came to Berk and constantly raided it. How they learned about the Dark Legions, as well as where they came from, and how their goal was to conquer and destroy all of Midgard. And of course, he also mentioned how they met their new friend Arn, and how they learned from him about the Wings of Midgard, the most powerful warriors to ever walk their world - and this was all without mentioning a single thing that the young Jorgenson had done.

But of course, Hiccup had to mention Spitelout's death. How he was murdered by the orcs, and that's when it _really_ hit Snotlout.

Instead of blaming Hiccup like last time, the young Jorgenson sat there silently with tears running down his cheeks, wondering how any of this was possible. "I feel like I've thrown one year of my life away. If I had not gotten into that accident, I could have…"

"There was nothing _any_ of us could have done," spoke Hiccup sympathetically. "When the orcs first struck out that night, we didn't see them coming. We quickly found out however, and then rushed to where they made their attack... We found your father, stabbed in the back with a lot of daggers, but it was too late."

"However, Gothi confirmed that he made it to Valhalla."

"I could have done something about it," Snotlout said with his voice shaking, narrowing his eyes down. "If I had been there by his side, if I had never gone into a coma, I could have saved him. Instead, the gods decided to… take him from me!"

Hiccup sighed, placing a hand on Snotlout's shoulder in comfort with a pat. "It's not your fault, Snotlout, nor the gods' fault. It's the orcs that are to blame. But even after your father's death, they kept making their raids on Berk - sending even more warriors with every attack, until it came to the point that my father decided to take the fight to them after we discovered that they took our ancestral home, the Island of Tomorrow."

"…They nearly destroyed us on that cursed island. Many of our men, as well as my father, didn't make it out alive. He's dead too, Snotlout."

Snotlout's eyes shot up to Hiccup. "So that means you're chief?"

"Yup," he nodded. "For nearly a month I had depression, but I was able to make it through. And that's what led me to a huge discovery that changed everything. As it turns out, the first Wings of Midgard were given powers by Odin himself, which would pass down their magics to their descendants, but only to those worthy of being a Wing of Midgard."

"Horren Haddock was my ancestor, and among the first Wings of Midgard. Hiccup Haddock I was among the second, but with his magic, he was able to glance into the future to see who the third generation of the Wings of Midgard would be…"

The lad went silent. It was then that Hiccup raised his right hand up in front of Snotlout and began putting tension into his arm, and with a flick of his hand, his palm conjured up flames which glowed brightly in a hue of orange. To this, Snotlout gave a look of shock.

"I am one of them."

Hiccup then crushed his hand into a fist, extinguishing the fiery magic that he conjured up into nothing but smoke. "With these magics at our side, we may yet have our revenge. Both you and I will be able to avenge our fathers, and give the orcs what's coming to them."

_"Us?"_ chuckled Snotlout, almost stuttering. "I- I think you're mistaken, Hiccup. I'm not a Wing of Midgard like you. Ho- How could I ever be able to use magic like you? Let alone be able to-"

Hiccup shook his head. "Don't doubt yourself. Right now we can only assume, and yet I still have high hopes for you. Maybe when we reach Valnr, we'll be able to find answers - so long as Drago doesn't-"

"Drago?"

Hiccup immediately realized that he forgot to tell Snotlout about Drago, and by extent, who the leader of the Dark Legions was.

"I forgot to tell you, didn't I?" he replied, slightly uncomfortable. "When Drago's Bewilderbeast swam off into the ocean and took him with it, he didn't drown as we thought he did. Unfortunately, Drago managed to survive."

Snotlout shook his head. "That's impossible."

"That's what we thought as well," nodded Hiccup. "But when we met Drago in person, we were shocked. The only reason he survived was because he was saved and empowered by the beast who created the Dark Legions. The one responsible for setting all of these events into motion, and the evil that my ancestor and the Wings of Midgard imprisoned long ago."

"His name is Maldragor, as if it couldn't get edgy enough... Drago calls him a god, but according to a spellbook we have, which Hiccup the First wrote, the Wings of Midgard called him the Dark Master."

"That's… quite a bit to take in," Snotlout commented. "But if he is imprisoned, how the Hel was he able to empower Drago, or even save him?"

"I don't know. But I have reason to believe that whatever is binding him is weakening. Drago is working on somehow bringing his master into our world, and I don't know how, but somehow I feel like the spellbook foreshadowed this. Hiccup the First wrote in it that he saw a vision of the Dark Master's return, but he never mentioned _how,_ or even through _who."_

"So how do we stop them?" asked Snotlout. "If this Maldragor is really as powerful as Drago says, and he is some sort of dark god, I don't think we stand much of a chance if he does return. Not to mention the Dark Legions could be larger than we think."

Hiccup lightly smirked. "That's why we have allies. Those ships you saw in the harbor belongs to the dwarves and elves. Their kings and I made a decision to make Midgard's first alliance, made up of elves, dwarves, and humans."

"We call ourselves the Alliance of Midgard."

"The Alliance of Midgard? You mean we're actually going to go to war against-?"

Before Snotlout could finish, a loud resonating sound from outside boomed across the town. It was the sound of the morning horn, which meant that the whole village was about to wake up, as well as the elves and dwarves who slept on their ships. It seemed that the two vikings had been talking for so long that they did not notice the dim rays of sunlight coming in through the cracks of the walls around them.

"Looks like we'll have to talk about this later," sighed Hiccup. "But the others will need to know that you're finally awake. Whatever you do however, don't, wander, off..."

"What? Why?"

"Just trust me, Snotlout. You don't want to know why. Now come with me..."

* * *

**I wish I could have made this chapter longer, but I unfortunately ran out of idea - so I do apologize. However, I will make it up for the next one and make it longer.**

**Either way, thank you for reading!**


	27. Behind The Curtains

The sun rose over the waking town of Berk, and a new morning had come for Midgard.

Hiccup and Snotlout were amongst the first ones up and out, but it seemed like the chief did not need to go wake up his friends himself. While making way through the slightly crowded yet somewhat quiet plaza, Hiccup noticed that the others were already down by Gobber's workshop, talking with the large belch himself who looked as tired as a dragon that was rudely woken up from its nap.

But in this case, Gobber was still his normal friendly self.

_'Huh, they don't usually wake up this fast,'_ Hiccup thought to himself with a shrug. _'I_ _guess they're so anxious to meet Snotlout that they all decided to skip breakfast...'_

For the most part, everything was going normally as they went through the plaza, until Hiccup started to notice something.

He saw that some of the people around him, who were not as exhausted as most others, were distantly glaring at Snotlout. Though they dared not to lash out at him as he was in the presence of the chief, they still did not forgive him for what he had done to Berk.

"Traitor," one said, quietly speaking under their breath.

"Murderer," another spoke, low in their voice.

"...Useless," another whispered.

Snotlout understood not a word from them, but as they walked off, he was left puzzled, thus he looked back at Hiccup. "Why were they looking at me like that?"

"I- I don't know," replied Hiccup. "Must be the morning mood. I assume they're all tired... Regardless, just keep walking. Don't look at them."

Despite what Snotlout thought about them, he gave a shrug and continued on as Hiccup told him to, following him from behind.

From the distance, Gobber would be the first to notice Hiccup coming towards them, thus he waved his hand at the lad.

"Ah! Good morning, Hiccup!" called out Gobber, causing for everyone's eyes to shift towards their approaching chief. "Your friends here were just telling me that they were waiting for you."

To Hiccup, he found it peculiar. "Really? How come you guys were waiting for me? ...And what are you all doing up so early anyways?" he asked.

"Eh, we couldn't wait," spoke Ruffnut. "Before you left yesterday, we all agreed to wake up early and wait for you… as well as Snotlout."

The Twins responded with an "ugh" upon hearing that word, more so from Ruffnut as she did not like saying it.

"You both do realize that's not the reason," sighed Fishlegs with a facepalm.

Gobber however rose one of his brows. "Snotlout… what does he have to do with this?" he asked.

Hiccup however was a bit embarrassed. "Uhh… guys? I don't think you should be so loud."

Astrid gave a light chuckle. "Hiccup, it's not like Snotlout is around. For all we know, he could be-"

Immediately the look on Astrid's face changed. She noticed the serious expression on Hiccup as he stepped a few paces to the side, and there and behold was Snotlout Jorgenson who was glancing at them.

"Uh… hello?" he said, in a kinder tone than usual. After all, he expected more of a warm welcome rather with smiles and happy-looking grins on their faces.

Astrid looked back at Hiccup, both brows raised in shock. "You brought him here? You do realize there are other people around him that could be watching him!" she said in a whisper.

"Actually Astrid, he was brought to me by Gothi. Still, there aren't _that _many people up right now."

"But it doesn't matter! The entire island still hates hi-"

Immediately Hiccup placed a finger over Astrid's lips, silencing her. "I've got this under control, alright?" he said as he slowly removed his finger from her lips, and she gave a nod.

"Alright… also, don't do that with your finger again. Otherwise I'll go for the shin, and it won't feel good," she said, receiving a smirk from Hiccup as she grinned back.

Then Snotlout's voice spoke up. "Uh, guys? Am I just going to stand here or…?"

"You can come closer, Snotlout," nodded Hiccup as Snotlout proceeded to make his way more closer to them. "Astrid here was just telling me that she's… glad that you've awoken from your coma. _Right,_ Astrid?"

"Oh- uhh… yeah," she replied, playing along. "In fact, we were _all_ worried that you would _never_ awake from your coma."

"Uhh… aye, Snotlout!" nodded Gobber in 'agreement.'

"Oh you _know it," _smiled Fishlegs, also instantly getting the hint upon hearing the tone in the others' voices.

Tuffnut however just shook his head and crossed his arms. "Wait a minute! Snotlout was not in a-!"

"Huh?" the confused Jorgenson replied.

Upon speaking however, Tuff was quickly elbowed by Ruffnut who was standing next to him with a displeasant look. Even she knew what she was doing. "Play along, you idiot!" she whispered.

Noticing the glare on Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and her sister, as well as Snotlout's baffled look, Tuffnut gave a smile as he placed his hands up in gesture. "Yup, yup! You're right! He was in a coma!" he spoke aloud.

"Oh brother…" sighed Hiccup with a facepalm. Not only was his reaction poorly timed, but also cringy. "Don't do that again, Tuff," he whispered before looking back at Snotlout.

"Anyways… Snotlout," he began. "How about we get some breakfast in the great hall? I'm sure the others would be willing to come."

"Eh, you can count me out, then. I uhh... need to see to the forge," commented Gobber, with him being the only one unwilling while the others showed approving looks. In truth, he was not comfortable around Snotlout.

"...Wait, but what about Arn?" asked Astrid. "Is he up?"

"He's still asleep, but we can go on without him as I'm sure he'll stop by there first," answered Hiccup. "Plus, I'm certain Snotlout is quite hungry right now. After being in that coma, his stomach must be aching for something."

"Heh, you bet... But, what about Hookfang? When can I see him?"

"You'll see him soon, don't worry," Hiccup assured him. "In the meantime, I can tell you about some of the things that have happened while you were out."

"Sounds good to me, I guess... So where do we start?"

...

* * *

"So let me get this straight," began Snotlout who sat opposite from Hiccup and Astrid. _"She_ was beaten by Arn in a duel?"

"I wasn't expecting him to be that good," commented Astrid as she sipped from her tankard of water. "But considering the fact that he was thrown into a raging war that he's been fighting for years, it would make sense how he's gotten that good."

"And were you angry afterwards?"

Astrid shook her head at him. "More like disappointed. After that however, I began training myself whenever I could. Of course, there are some people who don't know how to fight…"

Her eyes glanced over to the loudly conversing Twins who gave questioning looks back at her, unsure of who or what she was talking about.

"Uhh… what are you looking at?" asked Ruffnut.

Astrid sighed as she shook her head, looking back down at her bowl of porridge as she took another tasting spoonful from it. "I'd be surprised if they manage to do anything useful for the war to come," she said, speaking in a soft voice. "Last time we fought the orcs and their allies, those two banged up their weapons beyond repair."

"Well at least we have allies now, and not just ourselves," replied Hiccup. "I'm pretty sure that the elves and dwarves won't swing their weapons around as recklessly or stupidly as those two-"

"Hey! We'll have you know that we use our weapons better than _most_ muttonheads, thank you very much!" exclaimed Tuffnut angrily.

Astrid rose a brow. "Were you two really eavesdropping on us?"

"Nah, you're just very loud!" replied Ruffnut, who spoke quite loudly herself.

"Well what about your use of magic?" asked Fishlegs with a smirk. "From what I remembered, you set your own foot on fire, Tuff. Remember?"

Of course, Tuffnut knew what battle Fishlegs was referring to, but he couldn't say it aloud whilst Snotlout was in their presence. Instead he crossed his arms and said, "Shut up, Fishlegs," as he drank from his mug of mead.

Snotlout shook his head, slightly cringing at the thought of the Twins fighting. "I guess that's what they get for being muttonheads. Reminds me of when they pretended to be some sort of stupid statue or something. I dunno. They never achieved anything from doing that."

"And it feels like the old Snotlout is coming ever closer back to us…" Hiccup said in a low voice to Astrid, receiving a nod from the shieldmaiden.

"Huh?" asked Snotlout, swearing he heard his name get mentioned.

Hiccup however was quick to respond. "O- Oh, nothing, Snotlout. It wasn't about you. I was just reminding Astrid of…"

"Of…?"

The young chief sighed. "It's nothing, alright?"

"If you say so, chief," nodded Snotlout in acknowledgement, to which both Hiccup and Astrid sighed lightly under their breaths as if thinking to themselves, 'that was a close one.'

But before they could say anything else, another voice out of nowhere suddenly spoke up, and it wasn't one of theirs.

"Did you guys really go on having breakfast without me?"

Everyone's eyes and heads turned to the side, and from out of the shadows came Arn who looked slightly exhausted, but still well enough awake to stand straight.

"...Who's he?" asked Snotlout. "And how did he get in here? I'm pretty sure we would've seen him come in."

And Snotlout did have a point. Surely they would have heard and seen the doors to the great hall open if Arn came in, and yet here he was.

"W- When did you get here?" asked Hiccup.

"I snuck out of the hut after you left," smirked Arn. "I went to the great hall, knowing that you guys would probably show up there. Guess I was right."

"And you left Toothless all alone?"

Arn shook his head. "Nope. I brought him with me. He's actually right there behind you."

Suddenly Hiccup felt a nudge against his lower back, causing him to nearly jump in shock from his seat. But as he turned around, he saw the familiar black figure of Toothless sitting there with a delighted smile on his face.

The dragon warbled in laughter. _"Did I scare ya?"_

"Yeah," chuckled Hiccup as he held his hands around Toothless's head, greeting him. "How are you doing bud?"

_"Could be better. I had a dream that I was swimming in a lake filled with fish. The good part was that there were a lot of fish. The bad part was that it was just a dream."_

"I mean, you can't swim, you know," Hiccup stated. "...Then again, I never trained you for that."

As the conversation between both viking and dragon went on, Snotlout sat there with bewilderment in his expression, yet he was also intrigued. "Hiccup… are you, talking to Toothless?" he asked, to which the young chieftain nodded.

"I know it may seem weird to you, but dragons actually have their own language - called Dragonese. To you guys, you hear it as their growls, roars, and so forth, but I hear it differently. Learning Dragonese, you'll be able to understand them and hear them speak in it. Tamed dragons like our own can be spoken to in common since they're smarter and understand us better, but if it's a wild dragon, you'll need to speak in full on Dragonese."

"Wow… and who taught you all of this?" asked Snotlout, standing from his seat.

"That would be me," replied Arn as he approached Snotlout with his hand raised out. "I'm Arn. Arn Lotharson."

"Snotlout," said Snotlout, taking hold of Arn's hand firmly as he shook it. "Snotlout Jorgenson."

"I know who you are, Snotlout," Arn nodded. "Hiccup told me all about you. He told me about how you are a great dragon rider. As well as how you… well..."

"...How you fell into a coma," Hiccup answered for him.

"Yeah- that," sighed Arn. "Still, it's good to see that you're awake at last. And speaking of which, I think there's someone who would like to see you now that you're here."

"Who?"

"Someone you know," the blonde viking smirked.

Arn turned his head around and let out a sharp whistle, as if he was calling for someone to come forward, to which Snotlout shifted to face towards the direction Arn was facing, and from the shadows he heard the sound of what seemed to be claws hitting the stone floor, but then he began to make out a red winged figure slowly walking towards him...

It was a dragon. A Monstrous Nightmare. And as it came out from the shadows, a wide smile of relief appeared on Snotlout's face.

"Hookfang…"

…

* * *

"Life… such a pitiful thing," said Drago, talking to himself wickedly. "I used to believe that dragons had no place in this world except as slaves, and that only the people who I set out to rule truly deserved it…"

"But the truth is, no one has a place in this world. Only the coming darkness shall rule…"

Far away from Berk, on the Island of Tomorrow, Drago Bludvist stood at the top of his towering fortress, overlooking a large horde of the Dark Legions amassed down below by the thousands from within their city of war; the same city that Stoick tried to burn before he himself was burnt to a crisp.

Yet the dead chieftain's efforts were for naught, at least that was what Drago believed.

The warlord smiled at the thought of this, but was more amused at the sight of the rest of the island all around him as it was withering and dying. It was nothing but a husk of its former self. After all, his master's chaotic magic had corrupted everything.

The island was like a corpse. Its trees were nothing more than dead stumps of wood. Its lakes and rivers were streams of green lava - filled with chaos energy... And its plains of grass were reduced to dirt and ashes.

Along with that, the clouds over the island had grown ever darker ever since Berk's disaster of a battle. Thunder boomed as if the roar of a hundred dragons were blocking out all other sounds, and green lightning crackled the skies like a tempest of death and destruction.

To Drago, it was craving and satisfying.

His twisted daydream would be interrupted however as a dark viking armored in black plating from head to toe approached the warlord. His dark tattered cloak blew in the wind, and at the sound of his steps, Drago turned around to face the warrior, gazing at his green eyes that glowed menacingly from underneath his helmet.

"Grr… I did not summon you to come here, warrior. What do you want?" he questioned angrily, causing his own green eyes to flare as he slammed down the base of his bullhook. "Do you not see that you are disturbing my-"

"A thousand pardons, warlord, but He of the great chaotic fire wishes to speak with thee. I hast been sent as His messenger."

"He?" asked Drago.

The felled warrior bowed his head. "Indeed. And when thou art ready, He shalt be ready to speak with thee."

Drago nodded as he motioned with his hand to the warrior to begone, and the blackened viking calmly made his way off, leaving the warlord alone on the roof of the tower.

Without anymore disturbances, Drago took a dozen steps back from where he stood, and readied himself. He then laid down his bullhook before kneeling down and chanting out the words, _"Alsh draz, Maldragor!"_

Out of nowhere, a burst of green chaos fire suddenly shot upwards in front of Drago - away from where he stood, and in the flames, a black cloud of darkness came forth - crackling with chaos lightning, yet it was no ordinary cloud.

It was a shadow. A shadow of Drago's evil master.

The warlord stood to his feet. "You wished to speak with me, Master, and here I am. What do you ask of me? What is your bidding?"

For a moment there was silence as Drago awaited for his master to address his words, and then what came next was the voice of something outworldly. Something terrifying to drive the weak-willed insane. It was a deep voice that bellowed with the sound of fire and ash, as well as with the booming thunder which was enough to cause the ground to lightly vibrate beneath Drago's feet…

Maldragor, the Dark Master, spoke.

**"It is time, Drago… after waiting for so long, the warlocks have finally prepared a spell for the final ritual. It shall be Midgard's doom, and no power in this world will be able to stand against the Dark Legions. Not even the Wings of Midgard…"**

"But my Lord," said Drago. "Won't they still try to stop you?"

**"They are of no concern to me," **the Dark Master laughed.** "The descendant of Horren Haddock, as well as his weak companions, do not have the powers that their ancestors once had, and two of the seven Wings are still not aware of their powers…"**

Drago chuckled. "Then I assume we have nothing to worry about?"

**"Indeed. But regardless, there is something _else_ you must know... The Wings of Midgard and their leader are mustering a host of men, dwarves, and elves to move against me. The Alliance of Midgard, as they call themselves, want war."**

**"So I will give them war…"**

Drago gave a nod. "What are your orders, Master?"

**"Gather all of your forces on the island, and bring them back to Legionblight. The Island of Tomorrow has no further use to me… for now. Upon arrival, you are to ready a horde for war, and prepare to march down to Southern Valnr in a month's time- where you shall prepare the circle of conjuration for the final ritual. That day shall be Midgard's last, and not even the gods themselves will be able to stop me..."**

"And where shall we perform the final ritual…?"

...

* * *

**If anything, I would say that this chapter by far is one of the most interesting I have ever written in this story. Along with that, there are new names that have popped up which may be a mystery for a lot of you.**

**Still, I hope you enjoyed this one! Thanks for reading!**


	28. An Abrupt Nightly Departure

That day became a blast back to the past for both Hookfang and Snotlout. The two were eventually reunited as one. Hookfang was able to fly with his old rider once more, and Snotlout became the old dragon rider that he once was, all without remembering what transpired as a result of the wicked actions he had done... before his memories were wiped.

Meanwhile however, some still questioned Hiccup's choice of allowing Snotlout back into the tribe, and many others believed that he should be executed. After all, they had not forgotten what he had done.

Thankfully, the young chieftain assured as many people as he could that Snotlout had changed. Though it would take time for them to get used to him being among them, Hiccup had high hopes.

Especially since Snotlout was not the main problem to worry about.

Hiccup stood with Gobber, Lornduin, Morgrim, and his mother at the top of the stairs to the great hall, discussing their further plan of action regarding their war.

"Let's have a simple rundown," began Hiccup. "The riders and I will be landing in Votunheim to meet up with the Votun. We will convince their chieftain to join us, before moving on to the Northwest to help out the elves in Nordell, and then the dwarves in Dalgard. Afterwards we'll plan our next offensive against the Legions, and hopefully, figure out a way to stop them."

"I'll have fun kicking their arses back tae where they came," replied Morgrim smirkingly. "But we can't make time go fast 'nuff. Lornduil an' I still have tae wait fer tha rest of our armies tae arrive."

"That's fine," said Hiccup. "As long as the others and I can recruit our allies while dealing with the Legions, and possibly dealing with that monster Drago, we may yet be able to end this war more swiftly."

"You can't handle Drago alone, lad," spoke Gobber. "The Legions may be one thing, but that warlord and his master are both another. You can't forget how strong they are. If you step too far - I hate to break it to you - you'll end up like your father."

"Gobber, I-"

"You know he is right, young one," admitted Lornduil.

Valka too gave a nod. "Drago is no doubt too powerful for you to take on. I understand you want him to pay as much as our tribe does, but his master, whoever or whatever he is, has given him powers that I've never seen anyone, not even Gothi, ever use. He summoned a whole army with just a snap of his fingers."

"Imagine what other magics he could use against you if you ever run into him. Hiccup, you can't risk going after Drago. Not yet."

Hiccup let out a sigh. "You're right. My hate for him is getting me ahead of myself. But I will still not forget what he did to dad, and when I'm ready to fight him, I will send him straight down to Helheim to rot forever…"

"And it shall be so. Still, I suggest focusing on the task at hand, high chieftain," said Lornduil suggestively. "Revenge can wait. Right now I advise we figure out where the Alliance is going to land once it reaches Valnr."

Hiccup gave a nod. "The safest I can recommend is somewhere west of Votunheim, as long as the Alliance lands on the southeastern side of the continent. Orcish presence is not as active there."

"Is that it?" asked Gobber.

"Pretty much," replied Hiccup. "Unless there's something else you'd like to suggest, Gobber?"

The belch shook his head. "Not at all. I was just thinking we should-"

"Hold on, Gobber," interrupted Valka. Her head spun to the side at the sound of a pair of wings flapping, and soon everyone else seemed to notice. Their eyes looked up towards the sky, and from afar they spotted a dragon, particularly a Deadly Nadder, flying towards them with two figures on it's back. Two blonde figures.

Hiccup could only assume it was Astrid and Arn on top of Stormfly, and he would prove to be right.

As Astrid swiftly landed Stormfly in front of the group of five, the two vikings looked down at Hiccup as if they had something informative to tell him.

"Hiccup," began Astrid. "We need you by the cliffs near the arena. Something's come up, and we have no idea why."

The young chieftain rose a brow in curiosity. "What is it?"

…

* * *

Roaring. Very distant roaring. That was what Hiccup heard upon landing Toothless on the grassy cliffs with Astrid and Arn, and right away Hiccup could tell they were the roars of dragons. After all, what else would it be?

For a moment there was a pause, and then there it was again.

"Ugh, when will they JUST STOP?!" growled Snotlout.

The young chief dismounted from his Night Fury as he looked up towards the cloudy blue sky, trying to focus on where the roars of the dragons were coming from, and more importantly, where the dragons themselves were.

"When did this start happening?" asked Hiccup.

"About fifteen minutes ago," answered Arn. "The six of us were patrolling around the area when we started hearing these roars. At first, Snotlout suggested that we should forget about them, but when they kept on going, we agreed that we had to do something about it, so we came to you."

"...However, I get the feeling that whatever these dragons are, they aren't hostile. They sound a bit... familiar."

Hiccup crossed his arms, still glancing at the sky above them. "You guys were right to call me," he nodded as there was once again a pause, and then roaring once again. "Though these roars aren't constant, they sure make it seem like they're calling out to something- or maybe someone."

Tuffnut, who stood nearby, lightly chuckled. Snickering. "Pfft, how would you know that? I mean, I get you're the chief and all, as well as the dragon master, but I don't think that-"

"I'm only assuming, Tuffnut," interrupted Hiccup as he then shifted his eyes back to his dragon. "Toothless, do you have any ideas?"

The Night Fury shook his head as he stepped forward. _"Not a clue,"_ he warbled, replying in Dragonese. _"However, I sense that there are only three of them. That means there are three dragons flying about around here somewhere."_

"Just three?" Hiccup asked, to which Toothless gave a nod. "Do you think you can call out to them, then? I mean, you're the alpha after all."

_"I'll try, but I can't guarantee that this will work. I don't know what kind of dragons we're dealing with."_

Hiccup nodded his head as he gestured for the others to make space for Toothless, to which they did, allowing him to focus as he looked up towards the sky and let out a loud, bellowing, and authoritative roar that echoed in the wind that blew.

Unexpectedly, the roaring came to an abrupt stop, and then… nothing happened.

A long moment of silence came as they looked around, hoping for some sort of sign. Was there really nothing more they could do? Was that it?

Then, something out of the ordinary happened.

"Look!" said Fishlegs, pointing up in the distance.

Everyone followed Fishlegs's finger, and as they looked up, they saw three winged figures come into view from afar. They were certainly dragons, but their colors were too far away to make out.

They each flew slowly in unison, going around in a circle as they eyed the vikings that gazed up at them from below, yet one lad caught the trio's attention.

And thus, the three dragons began to descend, flying smoothly and slowly towards Hiccup and the others. Their wings flapped with ease as one of them let out a roar, reminding them to back up.

Toothless let out a huff. _"Everyone, get back!" _he gasped.

"Get back!" repeated Hiccup.

Immediately the riders and their dragons backed away from the edge of the cliffs, making enough room for the three winged creatures to land in front of them. Upon closing in, their wings began flapping more with haste - letting out a light breeze as they hovered over the grass before gently landing on all fours with light bows to the riders.

The group now had a closer look at them.

Their appearances were extraordinary. The three dragons were nearly twice as large as Monstrous Nightmares. Each of them had two large horns coming out of their foreheads, as well as thin yet bulky bodies, large wings, and long tails that looked a bit like bludgeons.

But despite their similarities, Hiccup also noticed that their color patterns were completely different - as well as the styles of their horns. The dragon in the center was red and orange - like a fiery dragon, the one on the left was blue and white - like an icy dragon, and the one on the right was yellow and purple - like a stormy dragon.

What in the name of Midgard were these dragons?

"It took them long enough," said Arn smirkingly.

But before Hiccup could ask what the blonde viking meant, Arn then stepped forward to stand in front of the three dragons and, surprisingly, bowed his head to them, to which the fiery-looking dragon came closer to him and surprisingly responded in a low bow. What was going on...?

Then, something happened that neither Hiccup nor any of the other riders saw coming.

"Arn," _spoke_ the dragon, his voice sounding mighty yet calm. "We are pleased to see that you are alive. Two months have gone by since you departed out to sea, and many back on Valnr thought you were dead… it looks like our visions proved them wrong."

Everyone's eyes, except for Arn's, were widened with disbelief. This was impossible...

"WHAT?" screamed Fishlegs excitedly like the dragon nerd he was. "I- I can't believe it. Is- Is this-? Thi- This an evolution to dragon classes! They- they-"

"You can talk!" gasped Astrid.

"Why of course we can talk!" chuckled the icy dragon heartily as she gave Astrid gave a friendly gaze. "I am sure Arn here has told you about us; _the Three Guardians of Valnr…_ Are you by chance his acquaintances?"

"...You're the Three Guardians?" asked Hiccup surprisingly. "I mean- Arn once mentioned you guys to me before, but he never told me you were dragons!"

"Well, now you know," smirked Arn. "Hiccup, allow me to introduce you to Infernus - Guardian of Fire, Glacien - Guardian of Ice, and Voltraxion - Guardian of Storms."

"Oh yes indeed!" nodded Voltraxion as he spoke quickly without a stutter. "Of course the majority of Midgard's population has no knowledge of us being in existence, but we are indeed the primary designated trio dragon defenders of the continent of Valnr assigned for being elemental custodian watchers, and humanoid protectors. Such as such goes for the rest of Midgard."

"Human what-?" replied Tuffnut, clearly unable to process what the storm dragon had said being the muttonhead he was.

"They protect living things like us, Tuff," answered Hiccup. "But uh... I must ask- did you guys really infuse Arn's blade? Runefang?"

The brief mentioning of this made Arn look at Hiccup in question. "Hiccup- are you serious? I already told you-"

"That is just a myth that many tend to believe in," replied Infernus. "Midgarite can be confused for being a blessed metal upon first glance, for whatever the reason. However, that is not why we're here."

The guardian's eyes shifted to the Alsworn heir. "Arn… have you found the Wings of Midgard?"

The blonde viking gave a nod as he turned around and motioned with his hand towards Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and the Twins. Snotlout however stepped back.

"Five Wings remain present, yet two are absent from our presence," quickly responded Voltraxion. "This is most peculiar indeed."

"And are you certain that they are of the Wings of Midgard?" asked the Glacien, her voice sounding as soft as sleet.

Once more, Arn nodded his head. "Aye. Through research we found out that the first generation of the Wings of Midgard were led by a man named Horren Haddock. This young man here, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, is his descendant, and his friends are also descendants of his companions… well, maybe except for him."

He motioned over towards Snotlout, but the dragon guardians arched their brows.

"So then it is true... And- are you certain about him, Arn Lotharsson?" asked the fiery guardian. "This young buff man could in any case possibly be a Wing. Is he not a _friend_ of Hiccup Haddock?"

Arn remained silent for a moment, not knowing what to respond with to the guardian, but the dragon merely shook his head.

"Well, never mind about that then," he sighed as his eyes drifted over to Hiccup. "Descendant of Horren Haddock, please step forward."

The young viking gave no question as he took a few calm footsteps towards the large fiery dragon. Being in the presence of a powerful dragon however made Hiccup feel a bit anxious. After all, he had never met a talking dragon before who held mastery over the elements, yet here were three of them right before his very eyes.

As he stood directly before the fiery dragon, the winged creature gazed directly into Hiccup's eyes as if he was looking right into his very thoughts.

"I sense the spirit of fire burning in you, Hiccup Haddock," Infernus said, impressed. "Your link to the connection of flames is strong. More powerful than any I've seen. Yet there is… hatred in it. Hatred towards the one who leads the Legions of Maldragor… for killing someone you loved."

"Yes," nodded Hiccup. "Drago Bludvist. He killed my father after we tried fighting to reclaim our ancestral island; the Island of Tomorrow. But now it's nothing but a wasteland. There is no going back to that horrific place."

"Hmm… that may be so," the fiery guardian responded agreeingly. "But you must know that Drago has left the Island of Tomorrow. His fortress still stands, but the island itself is completely deserted."

"What?" everyone spoke up in unison.

Hiccup's eyes were widened with an unanticipated gaze. "Wh- Are you certain?" he asked.

Infernus gave a nod. "It's what our visions showed us, and when we passed by the island, they were proven true. Drago has retreated his forces back to the darkened lands of which his master's Legions inhabit. The Dark Master knows you and your friends are the Wings of Midgard, Hiccup - both he and Drago, and they even know about your Alliance, of which we also saw in our visions."

"Does that mean Drago knew who we were from the start?" asked Astrid who still stood behind Hiccup, to which the young chieftain gave a nod.

"His lies were an attempt to bring us all down - and make us doubt ourselves," replied Hiccup. "He was aware that we didn't know we were the Wings of Midgard, so he took the opportunity to lie to us and say that they were dead... A clever move."

"But is that all you're here to tell us?"

The guardian shook his head. "That's not the only reason we are here... Because Drago knows that you plan to move against him and Maldragor, there is no doubt that he will want to move against you as soon as possible before you do. Thus, we are offering you safe passage to Valnr. You will have the chance to make the first move."

"Now?" asked Hiccup. "Wait- No no no… you don't understand. I can't leave without telling my people or the Alliance. My mother will be worried if I leave without-"

"Take all the time you need, descendant of Horren," spoke Glacien, the guardian ice dragon. "We will be waiting as long as we need to until you are prepared to depart. We are patient dragons after all. So for now, relax. We will be here."

"...Alright," sighed Hiccup. "Just- give us until midnight, and we'll be ready."

"Midnight?!" asked Snotlout. "You mean we're leaving Berk tonight, and without any rest?"

Hiccup shook his head. "You guys have until midnight to rest, as well as to get your weapons sharpened, to get your clothes cleaned and armor polished, and to get a last bite before we leave. It's going to be a long ride."

"I'll stay here with the guardians, and catch them up to date," said Arn. "Also, I would suggest that you guys get something warm to wear. A furred cloak as well as a fur vest or caplet will do. It's going to get colder as we go north, but it should take a minimum of five days to reach Valnr since we're going by dragon."

"We'll need to make stops along the journey then - for food and rest," Hiccup added on. "Any island or rockstack will do, but we'll need to move as fast as we can to reach Valnr."

"...But until then, prepare yourselves for the journey ahead, and give Berk your goodbyes. We'll be gone for a while…"

…

* * *

There was without a doubt that many would question Hiccup's abrupt departure, yet after explaining everything to his mother, she agreed, and allowed the lad to go. Either way, she could not stop him. He was the chief, and the was going to happen sooner or later.

"I promise I'll keep everyone safe, mom," spoke Hiccup, putting on his brown furred cloak while looking back at his mother as he was about to step out the door of his hut with Toothless. "...Will you keep Berk safe while I'm gone?"

Valka smiled as she gave him a nod, approaching him and placing her hands on his shoulders. "I will see to it that Berk is looked after while you're away, and that Gobber will lead the vikings of Berk to war alongside the elves and dwarves once they're ready."

"Thank you, mom…" sighed Hiccup. "Odin be with you."

"As with you, my son," she smiled as she embraced her son, hugging him goodbye before he turned his head back to face the door.

"Let's go, bud," he said, the two of them making their way out into the night of Berk - and after that, they would be making their way into the new world beyond.

As soon as they were outside, Hiccup sighed as he looked back at Toothless, anxious yet determined.

"Alright… let's get this over with," he sighed, slowly climbing onto Toothless's back and saddle and adjusting his foot and prosthetic onto the pedals, and with a metallic flick, Toothless's prosthetic tail fin flapped open like a sail lowering itself from the mast of a longship, ready to sail.

Hiccup nodded at Toothless, and without another word, they flew off to the cliffs to rally with the others

Midnight drew ever closer, and the riders had already given their goodbyes to their parents and relatives of whom did not try to stop them. After all, this was bound to happen, and they were proud of the young vikings.

...But the same unfortunately could not be said for Snotlout. He had no one to say goodbye to, and the thought planted itself deep in his mind.

Still, their weapons were sharpened, their armor was polished, their food and water were packed, and they were well rested to last the night and until tomorrow evening. They indeed were all set for the journey, and were rallied by the cliffs where the three dragon guardians were, waiting along with Arn.

Hiccup could see that they had warm gear on them. Furred cloaks, capelets, and vests - meant for winter weather. They looked like vikings ready for war and adventure.

As Arn stood to his feet from sitting down in the grass, he looked at the others who were rallied all around him and gave them a nod. "Are you guys all set?" he asked.

"We are ready," replied Hiccup. "We have everything we need."

"Then it's time," nodded Infernus. "Let us waste not another moment and be about it... Arn, climb onto my back."

The Alsworn heir bowed his head to the dragon guardian who then crouched down for the lad to climb upon. Making his way on Infernus's back however, Arn felt the familiar and uncomfortable feeling of a saddle-less dragon, though he was glad that he was somewhat used to it by now.

With everyone now set for the flight, they took one last glance back at Berk. It would be the last time they would see the island for a long while, and as the view sank into Hiccup's memory, he turned back around to face forward - shoving aside his emotions as he gave Toothless a light kick.

"Let's fly!"

And with that, they were off.

The eight dragons ran forward, spreading their wings out as they began to flap and fly out into the night underneath the moon-lit sky, and as they flew, the riders took a moment to look back at Berk as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance until it soon looked like nothing but a far rock over the horizon.

Their heads then spun to look forward, remaining silent as the wind blew against their faces. A whole new world awaited for them out in the great beyond...

* * *

**I would like to note several things before ending this chapter off.**

**Firstly, if you guys do not remember where Arn mentioned these Three Guardians, I recommend you refer back to Chapter 25 - Making A Change. This is just to assure you guys that I am not putting these three new characters into the story out of random, but out of reference.**

**Secondly and lastly, next chapter will be a time skip forward to where the adventure part of this story will REALLY begin. But for now, hold tight. The next chapter will come soon!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	29. A Warm Arrival

_**Five days later…**_

"Is Arn really singing that song again?" sighed Snotlout.

_"Have you heard of the one whose name is Brann?"_

_"He who saved the innocent as fast as a ram!"_

_"He walked on mountains and he walked through valleys,"_

_"He marched through battle where his foe would rally!"_

_"A smile to the good and fair is all he gave,"_

_"Never sad nor flaming mad, but always brave!"_

_"But when the foul and evil would cross his path,"_

_"He would unleash the Allfather's wrath!"_

Arn was indeed singing that same tune again. During their flight to Valnr, the Alsworn heir had been singing song after song, but one kept occasionally repeating. It was the song Hiccup heard the night of the feast when his father was still around, and coincidentally, the same night he received the vision from the runestone.

And as they flew through the cloudy blue sky with the cold wind against their faces, the riders all looked back at the lad while he rode atop Infernus's back.

"You really do like that song, huh?" laughed Hiccup heartily. "I never asked by the way, but where did you learn to sing it?"

"Eh… my father taught me it," replied Arn chuckling. "We were at a feast with the votun and their chief, Ragnar, and he began singing it aloud in the great hall along with everyone at the table. It was a great time."

"Eugh, what is it with you and your tribe?" asked Ruffnut. "You guys might as well be minstrels rather than warriors."

"Singing is a tradition in Valnr," laughed the fire guardian Infernus. "Many of its people from across the land - humans, votun, dwarves, and elves alike, sing tales and sagas of heroes and warriors of old. To them, it is very much enjoyable. Fun, as you would call it."

"Oh yes indeed, it is viewed as extremely exciting, enchanting, and enthralling!" spoke Voltraxion, once again speaking with 'complex' words. "Many of the sung sagas may suggest the pre-dated history behind the continent's long forgotten past. Of course, these are just speculations."

"I still have no idea what you are saying…" groaned Tuffnut.

"You're never going to understand a thing if you don't get your brain working, muttonhead," sighed Snotlout. "For Thor's sake…"

"Well look on the bright side," smiled Arn. "I can tell you for a fact that we're almost there! I can feel the air in the wind changing. I'm certain of it."

"I don't know... All I feel is the cold..." replied Fishlegs with a light shiver. "It's as if the goddess Skadi let out a breath of winter or something!"

"Nonsense," said Glacien, her voice not even shaking. "I may be an ice dragon, but it should not _be that_ cold... well, even though I cannot feel it."

"Fishlegs is a bit sensitive when it comes to the cold," replied Astrid with a shrug. "But truth be told, it feels colder than the arctic where we first fought Drago, and at least it's… not too cold."

Toothless let out a light warble of laughter. _"I bet she's lying," _he said in Dragonese.

"I wouldn't say that too loudly, bud," Hiccup replied softly. "Imagine how Astrid would respond to you if she understood-"

"LAND HO!"

Arn's voice rose up as he pointed his finger out into the distance towards a noticeable large chunk of rock from afar. At first it looked like an island, but they continued their flight, it slowly began to grow noticeably larger with each moment as they flew closer and closer, and after about a few more minutes of flight, it became clear what they were staring at.

They had finally arrived.

Arn gave a smile. "Before us lies the land Valnr, and far in the distance directly in front of us is the region of Votunheim - a large flat valley with small mountains and hills around it, home to it's bright green fields, tall trees, and of course - the votun."

"Wow…" grinned Hiccup. "I can imagine it in my head right now… must be a pretty place. You know, I can even feel myself getting a little bit warmer."

"Indeed, many have the same feeling when they gaze their eyes upon the votun's homeland," nodded Infernus. "But unfortunately, the other guardians and I cannot accompany you into Votunheim."

"What?" Hiccup immediately responded as he made Toothless slow to a halt, followed by the other riders as they all looked back at the Three Guardians. "...Are you saying you won't follow us any further?"

Infernus nodded his head. "Yes. It is here where we must part ways for now. We were tasked only to safely guide you to Valnr, and now here we are. We three guardians have a more important duty to fulfill, thus we cannot follow you."

"Will we at least see you again?" asked Fishlegs.

"Most likely, yes," Infernus assured him. "But for now, we must go…"

"...Alright then," said Hiccup as he looked down at Toothless. "Bud, help Arn off of Infernus, will you?"

The Night Fury gave a nod, flying closer to Infernus until he flew parallel from him. Arn, who slowly stood to both his feet, jumped from the fire guardian and onto Toothless's back, riding along behind Hiccup.

Infernus bowed his head in approval. "May Odin be with you, Wings of Midgard," he huffed, before swiftly flying off with the other dragon guardians into the northwest, leaving the seven young vikings alone with their dragons. As they flew off however, the riders could hear Voltraxion blattering further complicated nonsense until they were out of sight to be heard or seen...

"Looks like it's just us for now, until we meet the votun chieftain. We should continue on," said Hiccup.

"Excellent," grinned Arn. "And I know just where we can land."

…

* * *

"Are you sure it's this way?" asked Hiccup.

Arn nodded back to him. "I'm certain of it. We're not too far now."

After a few minutes of flight, the riders and their dragons were finally closing in on Votunheim's shores. The majority of the region's coast consisted of small cliffs and large rocks, but there was one beach Arn knew of, located on the western part of Votunheim's coast. It was small and secluded, the perfect place for them to camp, and there was even a path that went uphill which led straight into the valley itself. This meant they could go by foot if their dragons were too exhausted.

"I must say, we're lucky to have you as a guide," admitted Astrid respectfully. "Otherwise this journey would be more difficult."

"Well we can always use the map," Fishlegs pointed out. "We didn't bring it along without a reason-"

"Uhh, guys," interrupted Snotlout. "I hate to be a bummer, but uh- what's that?"

The Jorgenson's finger pointed out towards a small beach in the distance, and everyone's eyes immediately locked onto it.

"That's it! We're almost there," nodded Arn.

"I know that," replied Snotlout. "But who are those people _on _the beach?"

Everyone rose a brow. Their eyes were focused closely on the beach, and yet they were unable to make out who the figures up ahead were. But as they flew closer and closer, it became clear to the group what they were seeing.

They were tall, muscular warriors, of which they wore either plate horned helmets or no headgear at all. They also wore fur on their shoulders, along with leather and scalemail armor that extended down from chest to boot. They wielded axes, swords, spears, and shields in their grip, either with one hand, or with both.

It became clear that they were armed for battle.

"Are those- votun?" called out Fishlegs.

"They are votun... At least a dozen of them, and they're armed," replied Arn. "But what are they doing lined up on the beach?"

"I think there's a reason for it," said Hiccup.

And indeed there was. From the top of the small hill leading into Votunheim, the votun's enemy came marching down the path and swiftly lined up before them, outnumbering them at least four to one.

But the votun's enemy was their enemy, and Hiccup instantly knew who they were.

"Orcs!" exclaimed Hiccup with a grunt. "Double speed, everyone! We have to reach them!"

Snotlout gave a glare upon his first glance on the brutes. "Huh, so that's what they look like... Disgusting."

Immediately the dragons picked up the pace, flying as fast as they could towards the votun, whose backs were turned to the sea and their weapons towards the orcs, ready to take them on.

The twelve large warriors, though up against nearly fifty orcs, were still larger and stronger. They rallied closer, and formed into combat ready positions.

The leader of the votun, who wore a brown furred cloak, black scalemail armor, leather breeches and boots, a horned helmet, and wielded a two-handed axe, stepped forward to the front of his group with his weapon raised out.

"Shrug off your wounds, my warriors! Another battle awaits us!" he spoke, as his bassy nordic voice bellowed out to his warriors.

"Looks like it's just us, then," grinned one of the votun shieldmaidens. "This will be a worthy battle!"

But as prepared as they were to fight, so were the orcs.

"Come at us, maggots!" laughed the orc captain, standing opposite from the votun as he swung his sword around provokingly. "Come die in Drago's name!"

The votun took a few steps forward, ready to engage the orcs who kept roaring and taunting the mighty warriors. But before they could make a move, a voice called out to them.

"WAIT!"

The votun turned their backs, and looked up.

From above, they saw seven figures flying in on dragon-back of whom they did not recognize, and yet strangely enough, they felt as if the young riders were not their enemies.

"Grr… what is the meaning of this?!" growled the orc captain.

As Hiccup and the riders closed in, the votun quickly spaced themselves out and made way for them to land their dragons, and upon dismounting, the seven warriors swiftly unsheathed their weapons, gazing back at the orcs.

The votun now had a closer look, and saw that they were vikings.

"Light it up, Toothless," Hiccup commanded as he held his sword out, and the Night Fury obliged, charging up a light plasma blast and aiming it at the blade of Hiccup's weapon. Like a simple snap of a finger, the young chieftain's blade was lit in bright orange flames.

The votun awed as they watched in amazement. "Such a deadly weapon for someone so small!" complimented one of the votun warriors. "But what are you vikings doing here in Votunheim? Why do you bring dragons?"

"We're here to help you out," said Hiccup as he rose his sword up to his shoulders. "If you're willing to accept our aid, we'd be happy to help."

"Hmm… you seem a little bit small for this battle," chuckled the votun leader. "But you vikings do know what you're doing. Come, little friends, let us crush these orcs!"

"Gladly!" nodded Hiccup.

As such, the votun and the young riders, along with their dragons, roared as they ran at the orcs with their weapons raised, and the orcs in response quickly attempted to counter charge, yet as they did, Toothless, Stormfly, Meatlug, Hookfang, and Barf and Belch let out a combined blast of fire towards their ranks, causing an explosion that hurled ten up into the air, burning. Already, their numbers were dwindling.

And soon, both sides clashed as the fighting began on the beach.

The votun, being the battle born warriors they were, had very little trouble with the orcs. The brutes were only as large as Stoick - who in life was like a giant in the eyes of many, but the half-giant warriors almost dwarfed them.

They swung their weapons violently at the orcs, stabbing and hacking them to bits as they proceeded to beat the foul creatures to death. They were relentless, and showed no mercy to the orcs.

The same went for the dragons. With their heads and tails, they brutally bashed the orcs around as if they were toys, sending them hurling into each other like tree logs falling against one another, whilst also using their breath attacks to burn them into crisps.

Meanwhile, the young vikings were cutting down the orcs as if they were cattle. Hiccup and Astrid swung and lobbed their weapons at the orcs, and at the same time they used their magic to summon up fireballs which proved to be stronger than before. However, much to Hiccup's anticipation, his weapon was stronger than he had expected as his flame-lit and imbued sword cut through the orcs' armor, almost like a knife through butter.

"I've never made myself a better weapon," said Hiccup in astonishment.

At one point, the two Wings of Midgard spotted an orc rushing towards them, and as they both rose their hands out and shouted, "FÚRE!", conjuring forth two fireballs, they unexpectedly merged into one spell, powerful enough to kill the orc in an instant as it was blasted back with great force.

Hiccup and Astrid looked back at each other, smirking.

"Nice one, milady!" complimented Hiccup.

"Why thanks, chief!" she grinned. "Now, let's get back to the fight!"

Meanwhile, Arn, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the Twins were doing a fine effort in outmatching the orcs with their skill and intelligence. As was with the case of the orcs, they were stronger, so the four of them had to be smarter.

Though he knew no magic, Arn was excellent when it came to fighting the orcs, especially since he fought them for years. The young Alsworn viking struck at the orcs' limbs to slow them down. If the brutes dared to attack however, Arn would dodge and strike back, and one by one, the orcs who came before him were cut down.

For Snotlout, the buff viking was making a tremendous yet easy effort against the brutal raiders. Although he was unable to cast magic like his fellow riders, he still made up for it with his amazing sword-fighting skills, as well as his muscle and acrobatics, swiftly striking the orcs down when they least expected it. Indeed, all of those years of working out had truly begun to pay off for him as a viking.

"Snotlout! Snotlout! OI-OI-OI!"

Fishlegs, being the more knowledgeable one, relied more on his magic than the others. He kept his shield close as his hammer glowed menacingly with fire magic, and with every attack he made against the orcs, their armor seared and dented as if the Ingerman was bashing through them like crushing an apple with a rock. On occasion, he also shot out fireballs from his hands, burning the orcs before him to a crisp.

The Twins meanwhile, though not as excellent as the others, were still doing better than before. With their rage, they finally learned how to set their weapons on fire, and the two stuck with fighting back to back to cover their guard around them. Of course, being the violent duo they were, the orcs that attacked the two vikings were slashed and stabbed over and over again by the Twins until the brutes fell to their knees in defeat, before being quickly slain.

At this rate, the orcs could not handle the intensity that these new dragon riders, who had come out of nowhere, were putting onto them - especially since they knew magic, and it was then that the orc captain took a horn from the side of his belt…

And blew it loudly, calling for the retreat.

"RETREAT!" the orc captain roared. "Grr… we will come back, Dragonskarn!"

The fight quickly ended, and the dozen remaining orcs began to retreat back up the hill into the valley, though to the young vikings, it was unknown exactly where they were going.

At first, Hiccup was tempted to chase after the commander, but before he could move more than a few steps, a large figure blocked his way.

The votun leader shook his head as he held his arm out in front of Hiccup. "Don't risk it, little hero," he said warningly. "If you try to follow them back to their camp, their trackers on the road will spot you and kill you. Trust me, the east isn't safe."

The young chieftain found it a bit surprising that the votun called him a hero, but nevertheless, he sighed and gave a nod as he proceeded to put his sword back in its sheath, immediately extinguishing it of its flames as the other riders did the same and sheathed their weapons away.

The young vikings and their dragons grouped up with the votun, eyeing them curiously. Arn was not joking when he previously told them that they were half-giants. They were _large. _More than twice Hiccup's height.

"So then," continued the votun leader. "Who are you? You don't look like you're from around here."

"We're not... Well- most of us. My name is Hiccup Haddock, chief of the Berkian Tribe," said Hiccup, before pointing out the others. "My friends here are Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and Arn of the Alsworn. We've come to-"

"Arn?" asked the half-giant, gazing back at the blonde viking. "You mean… Arn _Lotharson_ of the Alsworn?"

The Alsworn heir gave a nod. "I guess you know me, then?"

"Aye," nodded the votun. "And though I would gladly like to talk with you, we cannot stay here as it's not safe. We can talk at our camp to the north, if of course you and your dragons are willing to come with us..."

"Our group need rest anyways. We'll gladly go with you to your camp - just lead the way," agreed Hiccup, receiving a grin from the votun leader.

"Very well, but we will have to move fast. Let us go!" the half-giant said cheerfully.

The votun leader ran first with Hiccup and Toothless at his side, and quickly the rest of the large group followed as they ran along the path leading up the hill and into the large valley of Votunheim, and upon first sight, Hiccup was stunned…

…

* * *

Time passed, and the riders got more of a glimpse of the region of Votunheim as they continued running their way to the northwest along the dirt road, all while passing by a few stone fences here and there.

_"Wow!" _gargled Meatlug. _"I wonder if I could snuggle around in the grass? This place is amazing!"_

_"Tell me about it," _huffed Hookfang with a dragon-like grin._"I would love to hang around in the trees. Hmm... I wonder if they feel nice?"_

For Hiccup however, the valley was simply beautiful, just as he imagined. Bright green grass, tall pine trees, hills and small mountains surrounding the region, and a warm sun shining down with clouds overhead - yet as they continued running down the path, Hiccup saw more and more of Votunheim.

"This place looks really pretty," Hiccup complimented as they all continued running along the road. "You votun chose a nice place to live in."

"Aye," replied the votun leader in his bassy and heavy nordic voice. "For centuries we have thrived here in peace, all while hunting the monsters that dwell here and threaten us. Wolves, trolls, mammoths, and even a few giants."

"Like I told you, they are monster hunters," Arn nodded.

The votun leader from beneath his helmet rose a brow. "You told these strangers about us, young Arn?"

"I told them quite a lot about you, actually. But since they're my friends, you have nothing to worry about," he assured the half-giant. "But I must ask, who are _you?"_

"I'll tell you when we reach the camp," the votun replied. "We're almost there. Not too far now!"

The riders and the votun continued running as fast as their feet could allow them as the long run had left them slightly tired, but after another few minutes of running, they had finally reached the camp which was stationed at the top of a small flat hill, with tall grass, and a few pine trees around it. The perfect place to camp while staying out of sight.

As they came to a stop, Hiccup looked around and got a better glance of the site. There was a large leather tent built in the center of the camp with four other slightly smaller tents surrounding it; very comfortable to sleep under, and near each tent was a campfire.

But over all, it was not bad. Not bad at all.

Now able to catch their breaths, the votun made way towards their tents to either rest their heads, or eat and drink to feed their stomachs. The campfires lit up, and soon they sat around the cozy pyres, heartily talking with one another. To this, the young vikings were a bit surprised. Even after fighting a battle, they reacted almost as if little to nothing happened?

Then again, the orcs in comparison to the half-giants were nothing.

"Come, friends," said the votun leader from nearby, motioning with his hand towards his tent in the center of the camp, to which the vikings and their dragons gladly followed.

Before them, they were greeted to a large campfire which the half-giant quickly lit up by grinding two stones against each other, causing sparks to fly at the wood which then turned into flames.

He then motioned with his hands towards the votun-sized logs around the fire. "Please, sit."

The young vikings grinned as they welcomingly sat down around the fire with the votun chief whilst their dragons sat near them - allowing themselves to finally rest.

"Ah…" sighed Snotlout. "I can finally rest my back. After nearly half a day of traveling, and a battle, this, is, worth it."

The others mumbled in agreement, allowing themselves to relax a little bit. This was indeed worth it, especially for the dragons whose wings felt beyond exhausted.

While settling in, Arn's eyes fell on the votun leader who began placing boar meat and fish on a spit over the fire.

"So, mind telling me who you are? You clearly know who _I_ am, but I don't recognize you."

For a moment, the votun leader looked up at Arn, and from beneath his helmet he grinned. "Has it really been that long, young Arn? I remembered when both you and your father last came here, and it was when you two were in my great hall, singing tunes with the other votun..."

"Does that not sound familiar?"

For a moment, everyone looked back at Arn in a swift motion after hearing what they just heard from the cheerful votun. The votun's words matched with the story Arn told them during their flight to Valnr, and soon the realization hit them.

"Hold on a moment," said Hiccup, looking back at the half-giant. "What are you trying to say? Who are you?"

The votun responded not in words, but by slowly removing his horned helmet, revealing his hearty and cheerful face. Upon first glance, he appeared somewhat stoic. He had red flaming long hair that went down to his shoulders in braids, and as well as down to his upper back. Along with that, he also wore a beard. A large, bushy and braided beard.

Arn's eyes were widened in surprise, but also with a bit of bewilderment. He certainly did not expect _this._

"...Chief Ragnar? What are- I thought you-"

As the lad stuttered, Ragnar gave a hearty laugh. "Aye! It is good to see you too, Arn Lotharson!"


	30. Settling In

**And we're finally back once more with another chapter! My apologies for taking longer than usual to type this, but with college coming up, my life has been busy. Thankfully, the wait for this chapter is over.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The twelve foot half-giant reached across the fire as he gently shook hands with the Alsworn viking, with Arn's hand of course being dwarfed in size in comparison to the large chieftain.

As the two laughed, Hiccup looked up at Ragnar in question - yet also in astonishment. He did not expect the votun, especially their chieftain, to be _this_ friendly in person.

"Honestly, I didn't expect you to be here," chuckled Arn. "It was difficult to make out your voice while you wore that helmet of yours."

Ragnar gave a smirk. "Well, it has been a while, young Arn. Then again, you should look at yourself. You've grown about half a foot taller when we last met, lad!"

"I'm certain I'm still the same height," shrugged Arn. "But I wouldn't get too excited. I still have guests here that want to talk to you."

He motioned with his hand over to Hiccup and the other riders, and Ragnar gave a friendly chuckle. "Ah yes, Hiccup Haddock and his friends. Well, mayhaps I should give you a proper greetings now that we're settled. However you would like to call me, whether it is chief or Ragnar, I can only say it is good to meet you."

"But eh… why are you here?"

"Arn told us everything about the foe that you, his people, and the rest of Valnr face," replied Hiccup. "The orcs have managed to make their presence known south as well. The elves of Lightwood, the dwarves of Khaz'ardul, and my tribe - the Berkian Tribe, were attacked by them. The orcs and their warlord even managed to kill my father…"

"Odin's beard, that is indeed a dreadful turn!" said Ragnar worryingly. "I can only assume you have all decided to take action into your own hands?"

Hiccup nodded. "Well, yeah, but not individually. You see, the elves and the dwarves came to Berk and told me about what happened to their kingdoms. After a discussion, and an inspiring speech to our three races, we formed an alliance that has never been made before - uniting the elves, dwarves, and men together. We call ourselves the Alliance of Midgard, and we are dedicated to taking down the Dark Legions."

"Hmm… your quest seems bold and ambitious," Ragnar complimented. "But I doubt you will be able to take on the Dark Legions. You don't understand what monstrosities they have at their side, or even the numbers they-."

"And because of this, I want to bring up my point of why we're here," continued Hiccup. "We would like to know if you would be willing to join the Alliance. Your tribe has some of the strongest warriors on this continent. If you joined us, we could-"

Before Hiccup could get the last words out, Ragnar shook his head and rose his hand up, much to the others' disappointment. "That is a proposal that I unfortunately cannot accept, young chieftain of Berk," he said. "My people face troubles of our own right now. Times are tough. We are having trouble with not just the enemy, but as well as our food supplies, and the monsters that dwell around us. Although the Dragonskarn capital is well secured, our outer village lies vulnerable."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot assist your alliance whilst the monsters and the orcs threaten my people."

Hiccup knew that this was most likely going to happen, however. Thus, he offered another proposal.

"...So what if we were to help your tribe?" asked Hiccup. "Surely if we helped your people out, you could be able to secure Votunheim and have the space needed for you to focus on the orcs directly. Please, let the others and I help resolve the problems that you and your people are going through. Give us a chance..."

Ragnar thought about it for a moment as he slowly nodded his head. Mayhaps he would not have to do all the work himself. Maybe there was a way they would both be able to help each other. However, his people came first.

"Alright, young chieftain," sighed the half-giant. "You help out my people, and in return, we'll lend our arms to your alliance, and swear our allegiance."

"It's a deal," replied Hiccup, and the two warriors gave each other a nod. "So what do you want us to do first?"

Ragnar's eyes narrowed away, gazing towards the north where his tribe's outer village was located. For a moment he thought about it, and quickly made his decision. This first mission would be a test for Hiccup and his friends.

"To the north is the village of Lakestead. It is our outlying village," spoke Ragnar as his gaze turned back to the young vikings. "It is a small town known for providing food to our tribe, both through livestock and crops. However, Lakestead is making only half of what it used to make. Much of our crops are failing, and the animals are being scared off by the local wildlife. So…"

"I think I know what you're trying to get at here," said Hiccup. "You want us to head to the village to help out the populace with the food production."

"What!?" grunted Snotlout. "We just got here though! You can't be telling me that you want us to-"

Immediately Hiccup raised his hand up, silencing the Jorgeson. "Calm down, Snotlout. I was never going to say that we would leave right away."

"Aye, and nor would I send you away immediately," agreed Ragnar. "You lads and lasses deserve this time to rest; to take a break for a day. I am sure we can wait."

Snotlout gave a sigh, narrowing his eyes down a bit. "Alright… I'm sorry for the outburst and- you know, whatever."

"No need to be sorry. It's fine, alright?" asked Hiccup, to which the young Jorgenson gave a nod.

With their first mission set for tomorrow, it was time for the group to settle in. The votun chief smirked as he cheerfully took hold of his mug which sat atop a nearby crate from where he sat. He gave a chuckle and asked, "So, who here is up for a drink of goat milk?"

"ME!" called out both Ruffnut and Tuffnut, raising their hands up.

…

* * *

For a few hours the riders had been feasting on boar meat and drinking goat milk in ridiculously large votun-sized mugs which were somewhat heavy, but fortunately they still managed with two hands.

All the meanwhile, they were also conversing cheerfully with Ragnar, laughing over many of his viking jokes whilst also learning about what life was like for votun, and for the most part it was simple... at least for them. Farm crops, hunt for livestock, forge weapons and armor, and in general - work around the town.

The dragons too enjoyed themselves as the votun chief was kind enough to lend them a few piles of fish for them to eat from, to which they all gobbled down in a matter of minutes.

However, Hiccup had other things going through him.

He stood near the edge of the small hill, overlooking what he could see of the valley of Votunheim. He gazed at the bright green plains which blew in the wind like ocean waves, as well as at the distant pine trees and the large river flowing down the center of the region from afar.

Yet to this, he sighed. Of course he admired it, but there was something about it that he could not shrug off.

Astrid however, who sat talking with the others, narrowed her eyes over to Hiccup whose back was turned to them - still looking out over the valley. She was curious. He had stayed like that for nearly half an hour straight, and said nothing. 'Something must have gotten his attention,' she thought.

She then turned her head and looked back at the others. "Hold on for a moment, I'll be right back," she said as she stood to her feet and proceeded to walk over to the young silent chieftain. Her feet stopped right next to him as she looked out at the valley with him, wondering what could be catching his attention.

"Hiccup?" she asked. "You haven't said anything for nearly half an hour. Is something on your mind?"

At first, Hiccup said nothing. He just continued staring out as if he was daydreaming into the blue. But then replied with one word.

"This," he said softly.

Astrid rose a brow curiously. "This?"

Hiccup gave a nod. "This valley is _just_ like the world that I wanted wanted to see - ever since Berk began to crumble, because of the whole fiasco with, well- you know who," he said. "I once asked myself if there were any other lands out there besides those we knew. And- well, I was right."

"But look at Berk now," she replied. "It's slowly building itself back up again… isn't it?"

"Kind of," he admitted. "But while the enemy that threatens Midgard remains, Berk can't become the viking-dragon utopia that it was supposed to be. Especially with _him _around commanding them."

"Drago? You shouldn't worry about him for now, Hiccup," she said assuringly. "Like we said, we'll deal with him when the time comes, but right now we're not strong enough to face him, and we still have other things to worry about… at least for tomorrow. So for now, just relax. There's more to do right now than thinking about Berk and Drago.

"Hmph," responded Hiccup muffling. "I guess you're right."

"Come on, cheer up," she smiled. "Come sit down by the fire and join us. I'm sure we can talk about- ...huh?"

Her words halted. Just before the two were about to walk back to the fire, they both suddenly heard what appeared to be the sound of strings from a lute being plucked and played. Looking back, they saw Arn was indeed holding his lute, and to this, Hiccup was a little bit surprised. Since when did he bring it along?

"Huh, I didn't know that he brought it along," shrugged Hiccup.

Astrid lightly chuckled. "Me neither. He must've snuck it into one of the satchels on Toothless' saddle, though I'm surprised it didn't break during the battle. Still, I can't wait to hear what he has this time."

"Hopefully not that song about Brann," laughed Hiccup, causing Astrid to respond in a hearty laughter.

As the two walked over and sat relaxingly by fire, Arn played random notes, seeing that the strings were in tune as he wanted it to be, and to this the votun chief, Ragnar, gave a wide grin and a laugh.

"Hahaha! I _love_ myself a good song! WARRIORS, GET OVER HERE, HAHA!"

Soon, the rest of the votun had their attention gazed on Arn as he was about to play. They chuckled heartily and cheered as they gathered around the riders, ready to sing.

The dragons gave questioning looks. They knew something was happening.

_"What are they doing?" _asked Meatlug.

_"Looks like they're preparing to sing. Oh gods..."_ sighed Stormfly.

Hiccup looked around him, eyes widened. It seemed they really were into music, and after a moment, Arn began to play and sing, and the votun and Ragnar joined in along with him.

It was a different tune, and it was one that they appeared to really like.

_"Aye ho to the mug I go, to heal my heart and watch it grow,"_

_"Snow may fall and cold may blow, but many miles... be still go!"_

_"And under a large tree I will lie, and watch the clouds go sailing by!"_

_"So aye ho to the mug I go, to drink my fill and drown my woe,"_

_"Better than storms or heavy dreer,"_

_"So shut up and chug your beer!"_

Ragnar and the votun all laughed heartily as they cheered and applauded, and before long they sang another two songs that lasted for another few minutes. As soon as they finished, they happily yet somewhat drunkenly went back to talking with one another by their campfires, once more leaving the riders by themselves with Ragnar. Clearly the half-giants had drunken mead.

Fishlegs blinked, giving a shrug. "Huh, so _this_ is how cheerful you guys are."

"Aye," replied Ragnar noddingly. "Though I must say, you lads and lasses seem… a bit uncomfortable. Do you not like music?"

"Of course not, it's just that we're just not the type for having crowds sing around us," said Astrid, shortly gazing back at the other votun. "Last time we sang was when we had to find a home for a baby Death Song. It was a ridiculous situation, and we all sounded terrible."

"That's because you don't know how to sing," laughed Arn. "Remember that the more you do it, the better you get at it. Practice makes perfect."

"Yeah yeah, we get it," said Ruffnut. "But at least I can sing better than Snotlout. His words never rhyme."

"Sis has a point. Snotlout really does suck at it, so I can't disagree there," snickered Tuffnut.

Snotlout grumbled irritatingly. "So what? At least I don't sound like a witch when I try to-"

"Alriiiight guys, that's- that's enough," Hiccup chuckled embarrassingly. "We're not here to compare each other's singing."

Ragnar rose a brow, lightly shaking his head. "You really aren't that cheery, are you?"

…

* * *

Back on Berk, things were progressing well with the Alliance's training. Their warriors grew stronger with every passing day, and reinforcements from their allies were soon to arrive.

However, the mother of the young chieftain had her doubts. In the great hall, Valka stood looking over the map of their campaign atop the war table. She had an idea, and she wanted to set it into motion, but she needed help.

"It has to work," she told herself. "Something tells me we don't have enough to win this. We need still need more men... But if they listen to us, we might just-"

The sound of two great doors slamming opened nearly caused her to jump as the silence of the hall was interrupted. She soon heard the distant echoing noise of two pairs of footsteps coming her way, and as she glanced forward, she spotted the two dimly lit figures of Eret and Gobber the Belch hastily walking towards her, almost jogging - if not running.

Both warriors sighed as they stopped right in front of her.

"We came swiftly... and as fast as we could… as you wanted…" slowly replied Eret, gathering his breath. "Mind telling us why we're here?"

"You both came right on time," nodded Valka. "I called you both here to ask for your help with... something."

"And what exactly would that be?" asked Gobber. "Certainly it isn't something Hiccup wouldn't want us to do... is it?"

"It is," she responded, to which the two vikings in front of her rose their brows and asked in unison, "What?"

"Just hear me out first," sighed Valka, shaking her head. "To make it short, I have a plan that involves getting us more warriors for the Alliance, but through persuasion. Something is telling me that we do not have enough men, and that we must take action."

"And so… I have sent letters to both Alvin and Dagur."

Eret's eyes suddenly widened. "You what!?"

"Valka, you know Hiccup would never approve of this," said Gobber, almost disapprovingly and worryingly. "Our relations with those two have become terrible ever since Snotlout backstabbed us!"

Valka gave a nod. "That may be so, but I still believe there is a way to convince them. Ever since they cut their ties with us and began making disputes with us over resources, they have had no idea of what has gone down, and they certainly do not know that Stoick is dead. If there is a way that we can convince them to join us, it is through words. Words that we can reach them with... Words that will encourage them."

"And how do you hope to do that without them causing a fight?" asked Eret.

"I wrote for them in the letter to meet us on Dragon Island in two days time, without any weapons, and to bring only two representatives. Until then, I want a ship prepared. You two shall help represent the tribe."

The idea as a whole sounded ridiculous and insane. How would Valka know if the Outcasts and Berserkers would listen to them, out of all people? Along with that, how would they believe their claims about the orcs, the Dark Legions, or even their master? It would just sound unreal to them.

However, it seemed there was nothing they could say about it, considering that Valka was Hiccup's mother, thus she was in a higher position than them.

"...Well, you're the chief's mother, and the former chieftess, so we can't disobey that," spoke Gobber.

"So you'll go along with it?"

"Aye," he nodded to her. "But I request that we do it under one condition…"

* * *

**If you guys have not spotted it already, the song in the chapter is a reference to a poetic tune from the Lord of the Rings, both from the books and movies. But nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	31. A New Problem Ahead

They ate well that night, feeding their fills before finally getting the well rested sleep that they deserved, and when the morning came, they were prepared. With their weapons sharpened and their dragons up and ready, they departed from the votun camp an hour later...

And for half an hour, underneath the cloudy sky, they flew through the air over the green fields of Votunheim, following the valley's river north to the village of Lakestead, which was located southwest of Votunheim's lake.

However, the weather was a bit of an issue to some of the riders as the air felt colder than yesterday. Along with that, it was still only the early morning.

"Grr… why does it have to be cold today!?" complained Snotlout who rode atop Hookfang. "Why couldn't it just be like yesterday?!"

"Eugh, tell me about it," groaned Ruffnut in agreement. "Yaks are lucky they have wool to cover themselves you know! I could really use a blanket made out of wool right now, or even just sit by a fire drinking their milk!"

"Nonono, yaks don't have wool, Ruff," Tuffnut noted to her. "You're confusing them with sheep… Or is it goats? Or is it both?"

"Maybe both!" commented Ruffnut. "But still, I want it to be warm again!"

"You could always ask Loki," replied Tuffnut. "Then again, maybe he's not the right guy to ask-"

"Guys, save it for another time!" Fishlegs called out to them, now irritated. A sentence or two from the Twins was enough to annoy and anger any person, and Fishlegs was beginning to feel as such.

"And Ruff, for your information, it's still the early morning! It's bound to be cold either way!"

"Pfft, and?" she asked in a bratty tone.

...But then Arn spoke up. "I'll make it short for you two since apparently you forget so easily. Valnr's weather _changes_ _constantly._ It all goes down to the regions and the seasons, and the only reason it's cold this morning is because it just happens to be so. Alright?"

"Ohh," both Twins responded in unison, as Ruffnut added on. "You could've just said so before!"

"I already did!" exclaimed Arn.

"I'm pretty sure he's reminded us five times," Astrid replied. "Now if you two would, stop bickering keep your eyes peeled. We could be closing in on the village at any moment-"

"Look! Up ahead!" spoke up Hiccup.

Everyone's heads turned forward. Up ahead they saw smoke rising from dozens of huts, and in the distance was a village. Along with that, the river they followed seemed to be getting larger and larger, until it became apparent that it was no longer a river they were flying along, but a lake.

"That must be Lakestead," Arn nodded. "We should land at the gates to make our presence known to the guards, that way we can tell them that Ragnar sent us."

"Agreed," said Hiccup. "Let's get moving, gang! Toothless, land us in front of the gates."

_"Finally! My wings could use a rest," _huffed Toothless.

The riders followed on Hiccup as he and Toothless flew at the front of the group, guiding them and their dragons towards the front gates of the village. It would not take long, and soon they were ready to land.

The votun guards down below however noticed the riders coming towards them. They were both armored with plate horned helmets, sleeveless scale mail chest plates, and leather leggings and boots. It was standard votun armor, but still durable.

As the group landed a few yards in front of the votun and proceeded to calmly dismount from their dragons, the two half-giant guards stepped forward to them, but did not draw their weapons or shields. They could tell the vikings were friendly, especially since an Alsworn was with them.

The group looked up at the two warriors, and they both eyed the vikings back.

"Strangers," began one of the guards. "Why do you come before the gates of Lakestead? Do you require any assistance?"

"Well- this may sound a bit strange, but we've actually come to help out Lakestead," spoke Hiccup as he stepped closer to the two guards. "We were sent here by your chieftain Ragnar. We found him south fighting the orcs with his warband, and we helped him fight them off."

"By the gods, are you serious?" asked the second warrior, to which Hiccup replied in a nod. The guard gave a chuckle. "Though one may find it hard to believe, I can see that you are telling the truth judging by that look in your eyes. Still, it looks like he's not done with the orcs yet!"

"He sure is, pal. Still fighting and kicking," randomly added Tuffnut.

"He told us that your village was going through tough times, so we decided to help. My friends and I are willing to do anything that needs to be done around here."

"You'll need to speak with the commander in charge here first... His name's Bjornar," said the second guard. "You can find him by the town's watchtower - he'll help you get started… but just as a warning, you should be wary of him. He doesn't take kindly to strangers who approach him. But as long as you behave, he won't care what you do. He'll merely want you out of his sight."

"Either way, you are welcomed into Lakestead!"

"Thanks," nodded Hiccup. "Alright gang, let's get going."

Immediately the guards stepped to the side and made way for the seven vikings and their dragons, allowing them through the gates, and upon entering, the vikings had their first taste of votun civilization.

Lakestead had one main path going through it; a large dirt road leading from the south gate to the north gate, whilst also splitting off towards the eastern gate that led out to the docks.

On both sides of the road stood votun-sized huts and structures, all of which were built spread out from one another. From what Hiccup could see, he knew there had to be no more than fifty structures in the entire village- including the watchtower to the east that had caught his eye, built atop a small hill.

Indeed, though it was a small town, it was also a busy one. And true to the word, the votun were a hard-working people.

Around them, votun warriors patrolled the town, guarding every corner, all whilst the townsfolk were hard at their labor. Some were builders and workers, some were meat butchers, some were smithies, some were lumberjacks, and some were traders and merchants. The possibilities went on.

"Wow," said Astrid, placing her hands against the sides of her waist. "When I pictured Lakestead, I did _not_ expect it to be like this."

"And now we've walked into a town filled with half-giants. Great," spoke Snotlout. "So where do we start?"

"Well you heard the guard," replied Arn. "We must speak with the commander here. And judging by that clearly noticeable watchtower over on that hill, he must be there."

Hiccup gave a nod. "Then let's get going. The sooner we get done with this, the better. Come on."

Without question, the group continued onwards, making their way through the town towards the distant yet visible watchtower that laid ahead of them. At the same time however, they began to attract attention.

Some of the votun of whom they passed by gazed back at them - not with unfriendly or bothersome looks, but intrigued and curious expressions. The dragons had especially noticed this as well.

Toothless, who walked along with Hiccup, glanced up at him. _"Why are they looking at us like that?" _he asked in Dragonese.

"It's because we're the only humans here, Toothless," he responded to the Night Fury. "From what I can tell, they're not used to seeing many visitors in their lands, so it must be a surprise for them to see us here."

"Hmph, I think their commander will think otherwise, but not in a good way," Arn commented.

Hiccup gestured in agreement. "I doubt he'll be friendly. Plus- you heard what that guard said... Either way, we're almost there."

Their eyes fell upon the watchtower that they were closing in on, and at the top of the hill near the entrance of the tower, Hiccup spotted a votun warrior discussing with two of the town's workers, yet his armor seemed different from the rest of the guards.

He could only assume it was the commander.

The warrior wore no helmet. He had long black hair that stretched down his back, as well as down to his shoulders in braids, and he had a large beard that looked disgustingly unwashed.

His armor consisted of mostly brown leather with furs, all except for his shoulder pads and chestplate which were made out of platemail. His weapon however consisted of a warhammer that could crush someone's skull in one hit if swung hard enough. But the most noticeable thing about him was the cloak he wore; made out of the black furred skin-rag of a rather large wolf, which Hiccup saw as somewhat barbaric.

As a whole, the votun warrior appeared as someone not to mess with.

Hiccup looked back at the others with an uncertain look, but said, "Let me do the talking."

As they made their way up the small hill towards the warrior, the two workers of whom he was talking to walked off, leaving his eyes gazing directly at Hiccup as both he and the others came closer to him.

The votun walked forward, and almost immediately his brows lowered into a curve.

"Grr… What is a group of seven vikings and six dragons doing in Lakestead? Do you not know who you stand before?"

"Yes," replied Hiccup calmly. "I assume you are commander Bjornar? Your guards told us you were in charge."

"Right you are," sneered the rude half-giant. "And unless you don't tell me what you're doing in my village, they may just escort you back out the same way you came in, human."

Now Hiccup's brows were lowered. Already he disliked him. "Your chieftain Ragnar sent us, half-giant. He told us that Lakestead was going through tough times, so he wanted us to help. We agreed, and that is why we are here."

"And how do you expect me to believe that, little human? For all I know, you could just be a scummy mercenary trying to get a few coins off us like greedy dwarves," he said, almost mockingly, and to this extent, Hiccup was beginning to get angry...

"We're not mercenaries," replied Arn calmly, speaking up for Hiccup. "Clearly you haven't noticed that an Alsworn viking is with them. Did you not notice my armor, or are you blind?"

Bjornar crossed his arms as he looked down at Arn, inspecting his gear.

Though he wore better made gear compared to most of the Alsworn warriors, like all of them, he nonetheless wore what they wore; a blue tunic, a sleeveless scalemail chest, scalemail leggings, a leather belt, a pair of boots and gloves, and grey fur on his shoulders as well as a furred capelet. It was the generic look of the tribe.

Clearly there was no denying he was an Alsworn, but the votun commander could hardly care.

"If you say so, boy," he said stubbornly before looking back to Hiccup. "Regardless, if you are true your word and are here for a reason, then I'll see if you're telling the truth... If you really wish to help out Lakestead, then here's something you can do..."

"We're listening," said Hiccup, heeding the votun's words.

"The farms outside the town to the west have been lacking much in production for a while now. Their crops are not growing fast enough, and they seem to be slowing down. Your first task is to go help sort this stupid problem out. Luckily for you however, the farms are located quite close to one another, so if you were going to squirm about it, now you don't need to."

"Very well," said Hiccup. "But who should we speak to when we get there? Who's in charge? What should we do?"

"That is for you to figure out. But once you get there, the foreman will fill you in on the... situation," replied Bjornar. "Now that you know what to do, get out of my sight, little humans."

Hiccup huffed out a hot breath of air, irritated and annoyed with the commander's attitude. Without another response, he turned back to the others and gave them a nod before walking past them, heading down the hill in a heat with Toothless at his side, and quickly the rest of the group began to follow.

_"What a brainless oaf," _growled Toothless. _"How could Ragnar ever allow him as a commander? He treats us as if we're dogs or something."_

Hiccup shook his head with a light sigh. "I don't know, bud. But something feels off about him…"

…

* * *

True to the commander's word, the farms were located just outside of town, and were built close to one another. However, looking over the fields, Hiccup immediately noticed that something was off.

He noticed that only _sections_ of the fields seemed to grow, whilst the rest appeared to be empty with not a single crop growing.

Ragnar was not joking when he said that his tribe was having problems with farming.

After a bit of flight and an overview of the fields, the riders found a spot to land near one of the four farming huts. For a moment they were able to catch a glance of the state of the crops more up close until something suddenly hit their nostrils. It was revolting.

"What… is that smell!?" coughed Astrid. "It smells like something is rotting."

Hiccup rose one of his brows while flapping his hand to get rid of the scent. "Could it be the crops? I mean, they don't look so good. In fact, the fields aren't even fully filled in... What is going on here-?"

"Hey, you over there! Strangers!"

A voice immediately caught everyone's attention, and as they turned to face towards the path leading out in between the fields, they saw a votun walking hastily towards them. The half-giant had long grey hair, as well as a long beard. He wore an apron, as well as a linen tunic, and a pair of leather leggings and boots. They could only assume that he worked here as one of the farmers.

"Uh… hello there!" Hiccup called out to him. "Sorry to trouble you, but do you by any chance work here?"

"Work here? I'm the foreman here! These are my farms!" the votun replied as he came to a stop, now standing in front of the vikings and their dragons. "The true question is, what business do you humans and your dragons have here?"

"Well… you see sir, we came to help out with your farming," spoke Fishlegs. "We were sent to Lakestead by your chief Ragnar to help the village out, and then your commander sent us here to help out with the… mess."

"So, Bjornar sent you young lads and lasses?" asked the foreman, letting out a sigh. "Well, I appreciate the assistance, but I feel this mess is not for you to fix nor worry about. It's that lazy and ignorant thick-skulled fool who is to blame."

Arn rose a brow. "Wait, what? How is your commander to blame for your crops failing?"

"It's the seeds we use, they aren't good enough anymore," the foreman replied, shaking his head. "Ever since Lakestead stood, merchants from Dragonskarn capital would sail here to trade with us, giving us weapons, food, miscellaneous, and seeds for crops. Usually these seeds would last for a while in the storages, and if they were to go bad, we'd throw them out and buy new ones. But that all changed three years ago when Bjornar ordered us to stop buying any crop seeds that the merchants sold, because they were too _"__expensive," _and instead told us to continue using the ones we had in our graineries."

"Only problem? Our graineries aren't made for LONG TERM STORAGE! Now we're stuck with YEARS worth of crop seeds, most of which don't even grow! Some of them are even rotting!"

"Rotting?" questioned Fishlegs. "Are they really that bad?"

"Does Ragnar or any of the townsfolk know about this at all?" asked Hiccup, clenching his fists.

The foreman sadly shook his head. "We're not allowed to tell anyone. He threatened to whip my farmers and I if we attempted to say even a word. But because you're an outsider, I suspect he didn't believe that I'd tell you this. He doesn't care much for them as long as they stay out of trouble or do as they're told."

"But as you can see, we're not producing enough for the village. If this keeps up, we'll have to rely solely on hunting and food merchants, which will permanently damage our farming economy. There are half a hundred people working here, and they won't have the gold to continue making their living, or to even buy food to feed their bellies…"

His hand motioned towards where the votun farmers were working, putting their backs into it. What followed was a moment of silence before the foreman let out a sigh. "This is all HIS fault! That greedy swine of a commander!"

To everyone however, this seemed unbelievable. Not only were they dealing with a stubborn, rude, and possibly corrupt commander, but that oaf was the reason that their crops were slowing down and failing.

"What can we do to help you out?" asked Hiccup, eager to help out the old foreman. "Surely there's something that can be done about this."

"Hmm… well, I guess there is something that you could do, but it's risky," nodded the foreman, motioning with his hand for the others to step closer. "Listen to what I have to say."

The riders did as they were told, grouping up around the foreman as his voice lowered to a soft tone, now speaking in a low volume to them.

"There is a way you may be able to help... At the docks, there is a merchant who sails by every other day from Dragonskarn capital to sell miscellaneous. However, she also carries crop seeds, and _lots_ of them. Her name is Helgan. She's a good friend of mine, and lucky for us, she's around today."

"Alright... but what should we tell her when we reach her?" asked Astrid.

"Tell her that her old friend Torstein sent you, and then from there you can do the rest… though speaking of which, I forgot to tell you that my name is Torstein!" he chuckled.

"Then it's only fair we give you ours," nodded Hiccup. "My name is Hiccup Haddock, chief of the Berkian Tribe. My friends here are Astrid Hofferson, Fishlegs Ingerman, Snotlout Jorgenson, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, and Arn of the Alsworn."

Torstein lightly bowed his head. "It's good to meet you all… Now, I'd say it's time that we get going with this."

"Agreed," said Hiccup. "But before we go, mind telling us what Helgan looks like?"

"She usually wears leather clothing as well as a hood over her head, along with a red wool cloak. She is always stationed by her longship, so you'll be able to easily spot her. But be warned, Bjornar's spies are everywhere in the docks. You'll need to find a way to buy from her without getting caught, even if that means getting out of sight."

"Then it's best that we split the group up for this. We'll have to do this quickly" said Hiccup, turning to face the others. "Astrid, Arn, you two are coming with me. The rest of you stay here, and see if you help Torstein out with his farming while we're gone."

"As you say, chief," replied Fishlegs eagerly, while Snotlout and the Twins let out quiet grumbles.

Astrid crossed her arms, nodding her head at Hiccup. "Well, we'd better get started..."


	32. Arising Issues

It seemed that luck was on their side. A fog had rolled in as soon as Hiccup, Astrid, and Arn had left atop Toothless and Stormfly, thus it would allow them to remain better unnoticed as long as they kept their distance.

Of course, rather than landing in the center of the crowded area where everyone would be able to see them, they landed at the end of one of the piers, thus they could tread and start out with better ease.

As Hiccup dismounted, he looked back at his friends and gave them a nod as he wrapped his brown fur cloak around himself. "Let's go slowly now. We can't draw too much attention."

Astrid and Arn nodded back at him, and the three vikings along with their two dragons made their way slowly down the pier. Glancing around however, they noticed quite the amount longships docked into the port. At least a dozen if not more.

"One of these ships must be Helgan's," said Arn. "But how are we going to notice her through this fog?"

"We'll just have to look around, of course without getting caught by any of Bjornar's spies," Astrid replied, glancing back at the crowds in the distance of whom were wandering around the docks, trading. "Maybe we should search one pier at a time. The more eyes we have, the better we can-"

"Or maybe she's right there?"

Hiccup spoke up as soon as he spotted a distant votun behind the counter of a set up tent, talking with one of the townsfolk. Astrid and Arn stared at the figure and noticed the clothing that they wore, and it matched Torstein's description. Leather gear, a red cloak, and a hood over their head. And judging by the shape of a figure, they could tell right away it was a woman.

"Are you certain that's her, Hiccup?" asked Astrid, to which the young chief nodded.

"It must be her," said Arn in agreement, looking back at Hiccup eagerly. "Should we go up to her?"

"Best we do," nodded Hiccup, spinning his head to face Toothless and Stormfly. "Bud, I want you and Stormfly to stay behind us. Keep your eyes watched for anything suspicious."

_"All right," _responded Toothless in Dragonese as Stormfly bowed her in a nod.

_"Shall we get to it then?" _the Nadder squawked.

The three vikings without another word began walking towards the half-giant merchant, all while Toothless and Stormfly kept behind them, just enough for no one to notice them. Making their way closer, they could overhear the female merchant talking with her patron.

"Now remember, here's what you need to do," said the merchant, speaking with a Nordic accent. "Next time you are cooking over your fire, put these herbs into the fire, and it will make a scent that will make your food taste better. Don't use too much however, or else it might ruin whatever you are making."

The patron nodded happily. "I'll make sure to remember that. It was a pleasure doing business with you," he said as he placed a small satchel filled with silver on the merchant's counter, and the merchant eagerly traded over a small bag of herbs.

"Same to you," she smiled, watching as the patron walked off cheerfully, and now that she was opened to talk with, the three vikings could get down to business.

Hiccup looked back at both Arn and Astrid, and they responded with eager nods. The three of them then proceeded to approach the female half-giant, and as they stood in front of her counter, she looked down at them with her brown eyes, giving off a curious smirk.

"Humans? I haven't seen your kind in these parts for a long while… you two don't seem to be part of the Alsworn tribe, yet your friend here seems to be-"

"He's our ally," Hiccup assured her. "And we are his too."

"Hmph... Well, if you say so," the merchant chuckled. "Now then, what can I do for you?"

"We're looking for a woman by the name of Helgan," said Astrid, inspecting the votun from top to bottom. "We were wondering if… well, you might be her."

The merchant's brows rose up in surprise, staring at the three young vikings with interest. How did they know who she was?

"Strangers, how do you know my name?" asked Helgan.

"Long story short, we had the opportunity to meet with your friend Torstein," immediately replied Hiccup. "He sent us to find you because he needs help with his farms. His crops are... well- failing."

Helgan's eyes slightly widened at the mention of this. For a moment she looked up from the three riders and glanced towards her right, gazing back at the crowds in the distance to see that no one was watching them, and to their luck they were in the clear.

Her eyes fell back to the group. "We'll talk about this on my longship. Come," she said.

The votun merchant swiftly made her way out of her tent, heading towards the edge of the pier where her longship was docked near the tent. She jumped atop her boat, and with her hand she motioned for the young vikings to come aboard, and they did so as well, leaping over onto the vessel.

Upon boarding, Hiccup noticed how large the longship was. Of course it was votun sized, but it was also twice as large as a normal longship. To him, it was a bit intriguing, but not in his general interest.

Looking back towards Helgan, she gave them a nod. "Please, sit anywhere."

Hiccup, Astrid, and Arn sat themselves down on the deck of the ship along with Helgan, crossing their legs as she leaned forward, giving them her full attention.

"So," she began. "Torstein sent you because his crops are failing… no doubt it's all thanks to that fool Bjornar?"

"Wait, you know about this?" asked Astrid, to which the woman nodded.

"Torstein and I are good friends - I've known about this for a while. But never would I think that things would become so desperate for him and his farmers. Their pockets must be running empty."

"His crops failing are just one thing, but some of them are also starting to rot," replied Hiccup. "Torstein has nothing but expired crop seeds in his storages, and if nothing is done soon, I feel that the Dragonskarn tribe may not be able to get enough food in the future... Helgan, is there anything you can do?"

The merchant thought about it for a moment. She narrowed her eyes down to the deck and started to mumble quietly to herself. Although she had what Torstein needed, she knew the risk she was taking by partaking in this… yet to her, it did not matter. The commander of Lakestead was nothing but a corrupt fool to her. What was the point of being afraid?

After a moment of silence, she looked back up at them and slowly nodded. "There are sacks of crop seeds at the back of the ship. I purchased them a week ago, so they are fairly new, but you must not let anyone see you carrying them, do you hear me?"

"We understand the risks," replied Hiccup. "Fortunately our dragons are with us, so we can simply fly out of town without being seen, especially with this fog."

Helgan rose a brow, looking around. "Dragons? Where are they?"

"Up on the pier," answered Astrid as she stood to her feet. "They shouldn't be noticed with this fog around us, but we'd better make this quick. If we're caught by Bjornar's spies, we'll be-"

"And what do you think you're doing!?"

The four of them were suddenly startled by a voice that spoke up; one that wasn't their own. Immediately Hiccup and Arn rose to their feet. They all turned around to look up at the pier next to the ship, and before them was a votun armored with leather and black cloth along with a hood over his head, glaring at them with muddy brown eyes.

The votun spat on the deck of the dock beneath him, lowering his brows. "So, you've shown your true colors at last, Helgan! I've overheard everything you said, and you have the audacity to offer what our commander has outlawed!? You can't hide secrets as long as we are around!"

"What is it to you, spy!?" growled Astrid, tempted to reach for her axe and hurl it at him.

The spy let out a wicked giggle, but then gave off a straight face. "What is it to me!? I work for Bjornar, girl! And from what I remember, he told you to help out that old man out in the fields, not to do scummy work behind his back!"

"Scummy work!? It's for the good of this town, you fool!" Hiccup growled in response. "Your commander sits back while the rest of the town does all of the work. If these seeds are not planted soon, this town will starve to-"

"So, you admit to helping her then!" gnarled the spy as he took a step back. "Commander Bjornar will know about this, and there's nothing you can do to stop me- ARGH!"

A large arrow through his chest. That was all that he was met with as everyone turned around to see where it came from, and in her hands, Helgan held a votun-sized bow aimed directly at him, to which the spy gave wicked but surprised eyes.

"I've had about enough of you. Seriously, do you ever shut your mouth?" asked Helgan mockingly.

The spy choked on his words. "He… he will find out... about…"

But despite the effort, he could not get another word out of his mouth as he fell into the water in between the ship and pier. Sooner or later someone would know about this, thus Hiccup and the others knew they had to get out of there.

Helgan looked back at the vikings, giving them a nod as she pointed towards the back deck of her longship. "Take what you need. I'll give them to you free of charge, but make it quick. You're not safe here."

"We won't forget this, Helgan," smiled Hiccup. "Thank you."

...

* * *

"As you can see, these rocks shouldn't be here," said Fishlegs to Torstein, pointing out large rocks beneath a hole that they dug in one of the fields. "So this is probably another reason why your crops are slowing down. Some rocks can prevent the roots of plants from getting the water they need from underground to grow, and may discourage health for the soil. I figure there are more rocks around here like these that haven't been dug up yet."

"I could have sworn that we dug every last one of those up years ago. And not only that, but I don't recall ever seeing green-like rocks in these fields…" replied Torstein, stroking his hand against his beard. "This can't be right. Why are they here?"

Fishlegs shrugged, narrowing his eyes up curiously. "I don't know…" he said, pausing for a moment before a smile suddenly met his face and grew. "But at least we'll be able to get this sorted, because it looks like luck is on our side. Look over there."

The Ingerman pointed his finger in the distance, and from above Torstein caught the familiar figures of two dragons flying in, carrying three figures, and at the sides of their saddles they hauled a total of twelve sacks of crop seeds. To this, the old foreman grinned.

As Toothless and Stormfly made their landing in front of Fishlegs and Torstein, Hiccup, Astrid, and Arn swiftly dismounted and proceeded to show and unload the sacks of seeds and grain to the foreman, placing them down one by one in front of him and presenting them to him.

"This is all our dragons could carry. It wasn't exactly easy considering the load," said Hiccup. "But they should be able to last for a couple of years. Though it's not much, it should be enough to start anew."

"I can't thank you enough, my friends," smiled Torstein as he knelt down towards one of the large sacks, opening it up and revealing the fresh seeds inside. "That'll show Bjornar not to mess with my farm."

"And speaking of your farm, did you guys by chance discover anything while we were away?" asked Astrid.

"There were half a dozen strange-looking rocks that we found beneath the soil," replied Fishlegs, pointing down towards the hole that they dug up. "Meatlug helped me dig this hole up, but at the moment she's… well- sleeping."

And indeed she was. Off to the side behind the Ingerman, the Gronckle laid down sleeping on her side, snoring quite loudly.

"And what have the others been doing?" questioned Arn with his arms crossed, but immediately his answer would be given as they heard the sounds of loud laughter and snickering from the Twins in the distance as they watched Barf and Belch run blindly in circles. It seemed they thought that it would be funny to place their helmets over their dragon's heads, and because of this, the Zippleback could not see anything, and began running around in confusion.

_"Where is everyone!?" _gargled Barf in Dragonese.

_"I don't know! I can't see!" _replied Belch.

Astrid gave a grunted sigh at the sight of this, as she muttered under her breath, "Muttonheads…"

Snotlout on the other hand was laying his back and head against his sleeping dragon Hookfang while writing through a small book of his that he strangely brought along, and to this, Hiccup gave a curious look. Usually Snotlout was not one for writing, and it was odd to see him scribing in what he assumed was perhaps a journal.

Regardless, he shook his head at the thought and turned back towards Fishlegs. "So these rocks," he began as he approached the hole along with Astrid; both pairs of eyes looking down it. "Why weren't they dug up? I mean- we all know how they can affect crops..."

"I don't know, but Torstein doesn't know why they're here," shrugged Fishlegs. "And for some reason these rocks are… green, like emeralds - or at least that's what their tints show. Their surfaces are smooth, almost like crystals, but the middle of these minerals are black, a bit like obsidian. Whatever the case, I don't like the look of them one bit."

Astrid gave a nod in agreement. "They do look rather out of place if you ask me."

Though both Hiccup and Astrid questioned these rocks, the way that Fishlegs described the look of them made Arn curious. Clearly no rocks he knew were green nor looked like that, so he knew that Torstein was not daydreaming nor wrong. Something was not right.

Approaching the hole, Arn took a glance at them for his own, and almost immediately a red flag hit him. The way the rocks were positioned appeared to be somewhat in a circle, and in the center was a rock larger than the rest of them.

"Hiccup," he said. "Have you ever seen rocks placed like this… naturally?"

"Now that you mention it, no- I haven't…"

That question sparked a red flag for Hiccup as well. When had he ever seen rocks in a hole that he dug up placed around like this-

...And then it hit him. What if the rocks were never there naturally? ...What if they were placed there?

His eyes, now a bit widened, turned back to Arn. "Mind giving that big one in the middle a poke with your sword- or rather a slash?"

The Alsworn viking gave a nod as he unsheathed his blade Runefang, and slowly leaned over the three-foot deep hole. His eyes fixated on the large rock in the center, and as instructed, he slightly raised his sword up and then with a quick but firm slash, brought it down upon the small boulder, and what followed was unexpected.

The impact that Runefang left caused a crack in the mineral that for a moment glowed green, and right away he knew that was a bad sign, and as he backed away, green liquid sprayed up from the crack - nearly getting in his eyes.

"COVER YOUR FACES!"

Instantly, the five of them placed their palms over their mouths and noses and shut their eyes, making sure that they did not inhale the liquid nor get it into their eyes, and as soon as it dissolved, everyone looked back at the minerals in concern… or rather what they assumed _were_ rocks.

"What… was that?" asked Hiccup.

"Our problems may have escalated," replied Arn. "Those are not rocks. Those, are chaos crystals. I remembered that the elven king of Nordell, Elendar, studied these crystals for a while and eventually came to the conclusion that they were made by orc warlocks, used for a variety of spells involving different forms of chaos energy... and that liquid was chaos magic in the form _poison."_

"Poison!?" exclaimed Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs in unison.

Torstein's eyes widened in anger. "Are you telling me… that my crops have been poisoned!?"

"It's why most of them are dying," answered Arn as he shook his head. "Last time I saw chaos crystals they had a higher dosage of magic than this and were more green, and I think we have the answer as to why these crystals are here."

"There's a traitor among us…"


	33. The Traitor Revealed

"Bjornar? Are you sure it's him?" asked Astrid, to which Hiccup gave an immediate nod. He had reason to believe that the commander of Lakestead was behind what they found, thus

"There's no doubt about it that it's him, Astrid. We've already been given several red flags, and those chaos crystals were one of them… but I fear the worst is ahead of us."

His eyes fell on the hole that they stood near which was previously filled with chaos crystals. Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs being the Wings of Midgard they were had destroyed them with the use of their fire magic, not taking the risk of touching them, and though it took them a few attempts, the crystals were eventually reduced to dust.

Yet Hiccup believed there were still more scattered around the fields, buried beneath the dirt.

"You also have to consider how the orcs could have just... brought them here," commented Fishlegs. "Because it wouldn't be easy for them to sneak by a village guarded by half-giants - especially since these fields are so close to it."

"The only explanation we have is that someone on the inside betrayed the Dragonskarn, and snuck the crystals in."

Hiccup gave a nod in agreement. "And I believe there's only one way we can set this right. We must confront Bjornar, and overthrow him."

Snotlout crossed his arms. "I'm not saying it's a bad plan, but I have just one question. How on Midgard are we supposed to get into his tower without getting stopped by guards; if they end up catching us?"

"The same way we got into Lakestead," spoke up Arn, to which Snotlout rolled his eyes. "We came here by Ragnar's request. He wants us to help his people, and if any of the guards here try to get in our way, we'll make sure to remind them who's protecting us."

"...It could work," commented Astrid. "But Hiccup has the final say in what we do... Hiccup?"

"Hmm..."

The young chief remained a bit uncertain. All the while Hiccup thought about this, he turned to Toothless who sat nearby talking with the other dragons in conversation and sharing with one another their thoughts... Perhaps they had the answer he needed.

"Toothless? What are your thoughts?" asked Hiccup.

_"Well… the other dragons and I talked about it," _began Toothless, speaking in Dragonese._ "And we believe that we should split up and enter the tower from both the bottom and the top. Because the roof of the tower is flat, I have reason to believe that there is an entrance leading inside, so we'll be able to cut off Bjornar's escape if he tries to run."_

"Now that I think about it," added Arn, as he too understood Dragonese. "That's actually a better idea."

"Uhh… what is?" asked Tuffnut. "Are you like- talking to the air now or something?"

The blonde viking shook his head. "No, Toothless was just giving his idea on how we can get into Bjornar's tower, and I think it's a better idea."

"Pfft, since when did you speak Dragonese?" laughed Ruffnut.

"Umm, he taught me. Did you really forget already?" asked Hiccup with a sigh.

"Wait- he did?" asked Tuffnut.

Hiccup facepalmed himself, followed by another sigh. "Listen, point being is that Toothless gave his idea, all right? And I say we go with it… We're going to enter the tower from two sides, from above and below. Ruff, Tuff, and Snotlout, you three will enter from the roof. Astrid, Fishlegs, Arn, you three will follow me through the front door."

"Sounds like a plan," nodded Astrid. "Though we'd better keep close to each other. Something tells me this isn't going to end well."

"Not unless we're quick enough to deal with him," replied Hiccup before turning to face Toothless, proceeding to walk over towards him. "Mount up, vikings. It's about time we owe the commander a visit…"

…

* * *

Hiccup's eyes gazed at the tower before him. To his luck, but also to his concern, there were no guards outside the entrance leading inside, but at the same time - Snotlout and the Twins with the aid of the fog managed to get to the top of the tower without being noticed.

Now it was time for him and the others with him to make their move.

Astrid, who had her hood over her head, rose a brow in question. "That's weird... why are there no guards protecting the entrance?

"I don't know, but it's probably for the better," quickly replied Hiccup. "The plan is simple. We'll quietly make our way up the tower and see what Bjornar is up to once we've found him, but do NOT engage. We have to do this without being spotted."

"Let's hurry. Someone could show up at any moment and see what we're up to," said Fishlegs.

"Agreed," added Arn. "Lead the way."

Hiccup gave a nod as he motioned with his hand for them to follow. The four vikings then swiftly made their way up the path with their dragons behind them, heading towards the doors of the wooden tower, to which Hiccup surprisingly found slightly opened.

As he went ahead of the group and pushed them more open, he made way for everyone else to go in first.

"Everybody, get in," he responded in a low voice.

Astrid, Fishlegs, and Arn were the first to run inside, with the dragons immediately following, and as soon as everyone was in, Hiccup took a final glance back at the distant townsfolk of whom were hard at work, making sure that they were not being watched, and upon making his way in, he gave the large doors a heavy push and shut them closed behind them.

They were in the clear to proceed.

Before them was a flight of stairs that led upwards before becoming a spiral staircase that had to have been at least three dozen steps or more. However, since they were votun-sized stairs, they had to watch their footing to make sure they would not trip.

"Watch your steps when going up, and try not to make a sound," he reminded them, to which they nodded.

Again, the young vikings went first whilst Toothless and the other dragons stayed back to guard their rear and keep out of sight, and as the silent ascendance up the stairs continued, Hiccup began to notice strange things.

The torches that were lighting the way upwards began to change from an orange fiery color into an emerald green that almost reminded him of the orcs's magic, and yet since when did he ever see votun use green-lit torches? In fact, since when did he ever see anyone else use them? Questions were beginning to flood him as they neared their way to the top, and as they got closer, Hiccup swore he could hear talking, and even then he saw a green light emanating down near the end of the staircase.

Whatever it was that was going through him, he knew something was not right, and the eerie atmosphere added on to his suspense...

Finally, the group managed to get to their way to the last four steps at the top of the staircase, and before they could enter the room at the top, Hiccup immediately held his arm out and stopped them.

"Wait," he said as he kept his head down.

Above their heads was an opening leading into Bjornar's chambers, the room where Hiccup could hear the votun talking loudly to someone… to a voice that sounded familiar.

All he had to do now was merely take another step once more, and poke his head up to see what was going on, and as made his way up one more step, he slowly raised his head to look into the room…

...And that's when he saw it.

In the center of the room was a pool of liquid made out of chaos energy, and from it stood a conjured image of Drago Bludvist, summoned up by chaos magic.

Now Bjornar had shown his true colors. His betrayal became clear.

_"You have done well so far, Bjornar," _chuckled Drago. _"Not only did you help confirm to me that Hiccup Haddock and his Wings of Midgard are in Votunheim, but now we will be able to set the next step of our plan."_

"But will they not try to stand against us?" asked Bjornar impatiently. "They could call on the aid of Ragnar and the Dragonskarn to the defense, and if they figure out how to unleash their powers against us, they might be able to-"

Drago held his hand up, interrupting him._ "Patience, Bjornar,"_ he replied. _"As I said, the Wings of Midgard do not have what it takes to unleash a fury. The Dark Master assures us that they are but insubordinates; nothing but weaklings…"_

"To me they are as pathetic as these townsfolk that I have to overlook, warlord. They aren't even aware of what I have done to their farms all those years ago when the Dark Master began whispering to me. The process was slow… but now it is finally working, and I have been patient. When will I receive my reward?"

_"You will soon enough,"_ Drago nodded. _"You have but now to prove to me your full loyalty, and then I will give you powers strong enough to break even the dragons themselves. You will become my new lieutenant."_

Bjornar gave a nod, taking a step closer to the small pool. "Very well. When shall we get started, then?"

"Never."

Hiccup's voice immediately spoke up as made himself known to the two wicked figures conversing with one another. As he stepped into the large room with his blade drawn as well as with Toothless now at his side, the other vikings along with their dragons followed him in and kept themselves prepared if Bjornar dared make a move.

The young vikings unsheathed their weapons threateningly, but the commander merely chuckled.

"Come to play hero now, eh?" said Bjornar as his voice deepened. "I knew sooner or later that old man Torstein would sell me out to outsiders, though I'm surprised it took you hardly half a day to find out what I really did to that pig's farms."

"You left us with too many red flags, Bjornar," replied Hiccup with his brows now lowered. "But what I have to ask is - why? After all that your chieftain has done for you, even giving you a position of power, you would turn your back on him?"

"Ragnar has done nothing for me!" the warrior spat. "He was never able to stop the orcs from continuously coming into our valley, but after all that the Dark Master has told me, my eyes opened to the truth. The Dark Legions are meant to win, and with me at Drago Bludvist's side, nothing can stop us!"

"You're insane," spoke Astrid.

Drago however gave a laugh. _"You are too late, Wings of Midgard. Even now the next stage of my plan will soon spring into action! Thousands of orcs will march on the pass and into Votunheim - with my new lieutenant as their leader! And no matter what you do, you cannot stop it."_

"Not while we still stand," replied Hiccup, but Drago simply shunned it off as he held his hand out and proceeded to conjure up chaos magic, and though the warlord was not in the room physically, he still managed to summon up a portal for Bjornar to go through.

The former commander looked back at Hiccup and the rest of the group, grinning wickedly. "Enjoy your day while you still can, Hiccup Haddock. It will be your last…"

The young chieftain was tempted to chase after the traitor, but as the portal quickly shut in on itself, something happened that none of them saw coming.

Chaos fire bursted outwards from the closing of the portal, setting the walls around Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Arn aflame, and like a carrion it quickly began to spread. It became obvious that if they did not get out of there, then eventually the whole building would come down on them, but unfortunately the flames were enough to even set the stairs behind them on fire.

In response to the chaos that Drago was seeing, he gave a wicked laugh before proceeding to snap his fingers, causing his image to disappear and leaving the young vikings and their dragons alone in the burning room.

Fishlegs looked around, breathing intensely. He was in a panic. "Oh Thor what do we do!? What do we do-!?" he said repeatedly. After all, it seemed as if there was no way out for them...

But when the ceiling above them was blasted open with dragon fire, the Ingerman came back to his senses as he and the rest of the group spotted Snotlout and the Twins flying atop their dragons.

"Oh," he said, now in a more calm tone. "I uh… nearly forgot about them."

"Come on, what are you waiting for!?" called out Snotlout. "This whole place is about to collapse! Get out of there!"

With a sigh of relief, Hiccup swiftly mounted himself atop Toothless, hastily attaching onto both paddles and unflapping the dragon's tail fin, and with a strong flap of his wings, the Night Fury soared up out of the burning tower with Astrid and Fishlegs behind him on their dragons - and of course with Arn seated behind Hiccup.

The riders all looked down at the tower as they continued flying their dragons up, high enough to where they had a better look at the situation, and from what they saw, they could see crowds of townsfolk and guards rally around the burning structure as they attempted to put it out with buckets of water, but it was no use.

Hiccup knew that chaos fire did not get put out so easily, and soon enough, the tower crumbled and collapsed in on itself.

He sighed with a grunt, landing a fist on his saddle in frustration. "He got away…"

"What? _Who_ got away!?" asked Snotlout with confusion. "Can somebody please tell me what in Odin's name happened in there?"

"Who do you think got away, Snotlout?" asked Fishlegs. "Bjornar for Thor's same!"

"It was as we predicted," Astrid began. "Bjornar admitted to us that he was the traitor. He was responsible for poisoning the crop fields, and even threw his lot in with the Dark Legions years ago when Drago's master began whispering to him."

"And that's _exactly_ why he prevented anyone from buying any form of grain or seeds," Arn added on. "His plan from the start was to slowly starve out the entire Dragonskarn Tribe, starting with their farms and with Lakestead. The chaos crystals he buried were meant to only affect grown crops, whilst the expired seeds remained unaffected."

"Uh-huh, and what about the new ones we got?" asked Ruffnut. "Won't they just die as well if they grow cuz- well… the chaos crystals?"

Fishlegs shook his head. "Torstein said he'd get to work with his farmers on digging up the rest of them. Either way, at least we now know what in the name of Midgard is going on with Bjornar."

"As well as what Drago is up to," Hiccup added on as he sighed. "If what he said was true, a legion of orcs are preparing to march on Votunheim, with Bjornar leading it."

"We can't let that happen. If those orcs make it into Votunheim, then we'll be in big trouble. Ragnar must be warned," said Astrid, to which Hiccup nodded in agreement.

"Let's get out of here then," replied the young chieftain. "We have no time to waste. A battle is coming and we have to be ready for it…"


	34. Next Course of Action

Ragnar angrily threw his mug across the campfire in frustration. He could not believe what he was hearing. After nearly an hour of flight from Lakestead, Hiccup and the rest of the group finally managed to arrive back at the votun camp where they told the chieftain everything, and he was not pleased at all.

The dragons who were observing the half-giant's tantrum sat there with their eyes widened, shocked as they quietly conversed in Dragonese.

_"Whoa, he's going all out," _gargled Barf, to which Belch nodded in agreement. _"I wonder what else he'll throw? A chair? His boot? Maybe even his-"_

_"Barf, as much as how we love a good joke, now's not a good time," _replied Toothless with a huff as he shook his head. _"Especially for me."_

All the meanwhile as the dragons spoke with one another in mumbled croons and warbles, Ragnar's anger just continued to rise as his mind continued flooding with raging thoughts about Bjornar.

"THAT SON OF A TROLL!" the chieftain roared. "He has the audacity to say that what I gave him was not enough, and then he BETRAYS ME AND JOINS THE ENEMY!? I can't believe he was the one responsible for not just Lakestead's problems, but my people's problems! He will pay when I get my hands on him!"

"Trust us chief, we were as shocked as you were when Bjornar revealed his betrayal to us," replied Astrid. "But unfortunately, that's not all we learned."

"Odin's sake…" sighed Ragnar, still shaking in anger. "How much worse can it get?"

"...Very much worse," Hiccup replied, almost disappointingly. "Bjornar may be Drago's lieutenant, but that doesn't change the fact that the orcs are marching an army on Votunheim."

Ragnar's eyes almost immediately widened. His anger became replaced with shock. "What?"

"Aye. It's true," nodded Arn. "Before Drago helped Bjornar escape us, he told us that he would be preparing to send out a legion of thousands of orcs on the pass leading into Votunheim. We don't know exactly how many they number, but what we do know is that Bjornar is leading them."

The Dragonskarn chieftain was unsure of what to say. The orcs based in the east still posed a threat to them, but now an entire legion of them were preparing to march on his home - with the traitor leading him. How could he fight the coming battle against a foe with greater numbers, and hope to win, even with his viking allies? Surely they would just slowly be overrunned...

...However, something then occurred to him. As he looked to the north, a questioning look appeared on his face, and he started to nod.

"Hmm... Yes… it could work."

"What? What could?" asked Hiccup intriguingly. "Did you figure something out? Do you have an idea of how to-"

"The storm dragons," Ragnar immediately replied as he turned to look back at the others. "To the north near the Dragonskarn capital is a small mountain that nests multiple breeds of storm dragons, including Skrills, of which you probably know of. It's said that it was the same place the dragon guardian Voltraxion was born, but that's besides the point. The storm dragons have an alpha named Velthora who in the past has aided us with defending our valley-"

"Let me guess, you want us to convince her to help us?" rudely interrupted Snotlout, to which Astrid casted him a glare.

"Snotlout…" she grunted.

"Well, despite his rude manner, he's right," nodded Ragnar. "We need all of the help that we can get in this next battle, so I ask that you do whatever it takes to convince her to join us… however, that will be for tomorrow. For now, you lads and lasses deserve a rest."

"Thank you, Ragnar," Hiccup replied in gratitude. "Though we wish we could have done more in Lakestead. All we did was help with the town's farms and-"

"Don't worry about it, lad," smiled the chieftain. "You did all you could. If anything, I feel as if Bjornar was responsible for everything that my tribe has suffered. He must pay for his crimes, but first, I have business I need to deal with…"

"What do you mean?" asked Fishlegs.

"I must prepare to leave with my men. I need to get to the capital and muster as many warriors as I can. I will lead them to the east in full force to deal with the orcs based there, and destroy them. For now, the camp is all yours, but don't try to go looking through anyone else's belongings, all right?"

Hiccup gave a nod. "I'll make sure of it. You have my word..."

…

* * *

Hours had passed since the chieftain of the Dragonskarn left the camp along with his men, and Hiccup and the group took the opportunity to spend what time they could use freely to themselves… for the most part.

Out in the fields near the camp, Astrid oversaw training Ruffnut and Tuffnut on how to better-use their magic, and though it was slow progression, they _were_ getting somewhere.

She shook her head, watching as they poorly attempted to cast a fireball. "No no no, that's not how you do it. You two need to be more accurate than that when aiming. Again!"

And again, the Twins aimed their hands up towards the cloudy sky, sticking their hands out as they attempted to cast a spell once again, literally channeling their anger into their arms, but to no avail.

The only thing that came out of their hands was a quick flash of bright fire that extinguished itself upon being conjured, but Tuffnut felt his hand get burnt as a result of his miscast as he screamed, "OUCH! Screw you stupid magic!" to which her sister laughed.

Astrid sighed with a facepalm, once more shaking her head. This was indeed going to take forever.

All the meanwhile as this was happening, Hiccup, Arn, Fishlegs, and Snotlout sat on a nearby fallen log with their dragons sitting around them, talking with one another as they watched the training continue to go down.

"Wow," spoke Arn. "Even though they learned how to light their spears on fire, they still can't learn how to cast a simple fireball."

Fishlegs merely sighed. "Well, as you know, the Twins aren't exactly the sharpest in our group," he stated. "That's just how they are... well, in most cases."

"Hm. I wonder, what if they never learn how to even use magic the right way?" asked Snotlout with his arms. "What if they accidentally blow something up and-"

"Snotlout, what are they going to blow up? A tree?" chuckled Hiccup, to which Snotlout shrugged. "Just relax. It's going to take time for them to learn. I'm sure they'll manage."

_"You do know Tuffnut set his foot on fire three times during our trip to Valnr when he tried to get a campfire going," _responded Toothless in Dragonese as he gave a warbling laugh.

Hiccup and Arn turned to face the Night Fury, and the two vikings being the ones able to understand Dragonese responded with light chuckles. Snotlout and Fishlegs however both gave shrugs.

"True," nodded Arn. "But I still think that they'll get it eventually. They just need to memorize how to use it the right way, and then they'll be set… in fact, you five should be lucky you even know magic. Snotlout and I couldn't even light a spark if we wanted to."

"Hmph. I too would wanna know magic... but eh, I still have Hookfang to back me up," replied Snotlout as he slightly leaned back and looked over at his dragon. "Five thousand pounds of flaming muscles, remember?"

Arn let out a sigh, and what followed was a small pause. Though he doubted that he could ever learn magic as much as Snotlout, Hiccup still believed that mayhaps he had potential - yet at the same time he was unsure. Magic in order for it to be used, or even mastered, required one to be intelligent and cunning; able to think creatively and use emotion to cast spells, and that was what magic relied on. Hiccup knew this.

Fire required one's rage and anger to be channeled correctly, and to accomplish this, the spellcaster had to clear their minds of most of their emotions, but then came the tricky part which was how they wanted to cast a spell, as well as what spell it would be. But clearly, magic was not an easy thing to learn, and not everyone had the potential to learn it.

"...Maybe you'll learn it someday," he smiled at the lad. "Astrid, Fishlegs, the Twins, and I were only lucky because our ancestors were part of the Wings of Midgard. Their powers were passed on to us, thus we can cast magic more easily… mostly. Still, maybe one of your ancestors were-?"

"Eh, it doesn't matter," Arn quickly said, immediately shrugging it off. "All I want right now is something to eat. I haven't had anything since this morning, and I'm starving."

"I could use some food as well," nodded Fishlegs as he stood. "Ragnar left us with plenty of supplies, so we should be good... But if you guys want, I can cook up a stew for us, as well as maybe some boar ribs."

"You know how to cook?" asked Arn intriguingly.

"My friend Heather taught me a few things back in the days when she used to be in our group," the Ingerman happily stated. "I will admit, those were better times, but if you guys are in agreement, I can-"

"We'll help you out with it," said Hiccup as he stood to his feet. "Snotlout, tell Astrid and the Twins to head back. It's about time that we had a good meal."

…

* * *

...To the west, outside the pass leading into Votunheim, they stood waiting there. Two lone figures gazed down from atop a rocky cliff whilst their backs faced the mountains of Votunheim, staring over them like towering peaks that reached up into the darkening skies above them.

Bjornar crossed his arms, looking back at Drago impatiently who was now with him in person. "When will they arrive, Drago? You promised me that an army would come. I want to start the attack already…"

Drago shook his head with a smirk. "Patience, mighty Bjornar. The orcs I sent out will arrive soon, but the attack on Votunheim won't happen until the time comes."

"And when will that time be?" asked the half-giant as he began to pace back and forth. "Ragnar and his Dragonskarn must be crushed if I have any chance of forcing the votun into submission, into serving me as well as the Dark Legions…"

"Hmph, they will in time," Drago lightly chuckled. "I know for certain they will serve the Legions well, _that_ I can say... The Dark Master will be pleased."

The mere mention of his master made him grin lightly, yet also wickedly. The warlord took a deep inhale as his green glowing eyes looked out into the distance, imagining there and then what the world of Midgard would be like under the Dark Master's reign. A reign of chaos for men, elves, and dwarves… if any of them were lucky to survive.

"Though I must say," began Drago. "By abandoning your old beliefs to Odin and the rest of the gods, and submitting to the Dark Master, you have made heresy to them. How do you think your people will think of you?"

"I couldn't care less of them," laughed Bjornar. "What I've seen of them, they are nothing but an impractical people to my eyes; naive and simple and unable to do the most basic of things properly... But once they see who their true god is, they will do the same as I did, and if not, then I will force them into it. They can't-"

...His words came to a halt. A loud noise from the distance caught his attention as he turned his head to face out towards the rolling plains. At first he questioned it, but then it became obvious... It was a horn. A horn from hel that bellowed with a darkening sound that would make anyone want to turn the other way and run in fear… but Bjornar merely smiled at it. He welcomed it.

From the horizon, they came. An army of thousands approached with ranks upon ranks of orcs pounding the cold ground beneath their feet. Their black banners flew, and they all marched to the sound of the drums; thundering and booming, yet the view struck Bjornar as fascinating and craving to him.

This was _his_ army. A legion he would lead in the name of his Dark Master.

"Hmph, magnificent, isn't it?" Drago chuckled. "As vast as our armies are, they don't stay in one place for too long and still manage to rally in another as fast as vermin spreading, yet this force is but a whisper of our true power. A small fraction of what our master commands..."

"As promised, these orcs are yours to lead… but you are not to-"

"Yes yes," interrupted Bjornar with a smug look. "I am not to attack until the time comes."

"Good," nodded the warlord. "You will wait several days, and once I give you the signal, you shall prepare your forces for a full attack on this pitiful valley. If you fail, do not expect a second chance. Is that understood?"

The commander bowed his head, smirking as turned to face Drago. "Several days then?"

"Several days," he said assuringly. "But now that you have shown that you are prepared to lead, it is only fitting that you are rewarded as a leader. As my new lieutenant... I will gift you with power beyond comprehension; unmatched and unlimited, and I can guarantee you that Hiccup and the Wings of Midgard will know true power when they face you."

"...Now, kneel."


	35. A Stormy Visit

**I would like to apologise for how long it took to post this chapter. More than a week ago on the Friday before I had surgery on my ear, and because of that, I was unable to continue writing this chapter as I needed to spend the time to recover. But now that I feel better and my ear is healing nicely, I can finally post this chapter. So now I am back on track. :)**

**Regardless, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Can we trust their word?" asked Gobber, standing on Valka's left as he gazed at the mother of the chieftain with concern. "How do we know they haven't set a trap for us? You know how crafty they can-"

"The Berserkers and Outcasts are here to talk, not fight," replied Valka assuringly. "If Dagur and Alvin wanted us captured, or worse, killed, they _could_ have done it by now. But they don't want to. And besides, I made it clear to them not to bring any weapons."

"There's also the fact that they aren't exactly our enemies," nodded Eret who stood on Valka's right. "The Berserkers and Outcasts may not trust us nor be friendly to us, but they are certainly not hostile… but I doubt they'll act the same to us once this plan of ours goes down - _if_ it works of course."

Valka sighed. "It _will _work, I promise… just follow my lead, and stay by my side, then our friends can come in and do their part."

...Just as the mother of the chieftain had promised; they would meet after two days, and already had those two days passed. On the foggy rocky shore of Dragon Island, the leaders of the Berserker and Outcast tribes, Dagur and Alvin, met up to heed out what the wife of the late chieftain Stoick had to say, yet they were unaware of her husband's passing.

The two chieftains stood with guards on both their flanks in representation of their tribes, and as Valka, Gobber, and Eret made their way closer to them, both Alvin and Dagur too stepped forward until the vikings of the three tribes were standing face to face with one another.

Valka gave nodded at them. "Dagur, Alvin; we meet again."

"That we do," stated Dagur. "I will say, I _was_ hoping to see Stoick himself, but... meeting with the chieftess of the Berkian Tribe is enough for me I guess. Tell me Valka, how's the old man doing?"

"Stoick is no longer with us, Dagur… and I am no longer the chieftess of Berk," quickly replied Valka, gently shaking her head. "Ever since you and your tribes split away from us, times have changed on Berk."

"Hm, is that so?" asked Alvin. "So then tell us, what happened? Is your tribe is finally falling apart? Or is there another _reason_ that you want to give so that you can convince us to ally with you? Surely you can come up with a better excuse than tha-"

"Stoick is dead," Gobber immediately stated, catching the gazes of both chieftains. "He was killed by the raiders… Or well- by their leader."

"Huh, so those beasts that you always nag about _do _have a leader, yet you couldn't beat them? They're raiders for Thor's sake," chuckled Dagur. "...Still, if you're no longer the chieftess now that Stoick is dead, then I can only guess that young ol' Hiccup is your chieftain now?"

"Aye, that he is," confirmed Eret, now speaking up. "And those raiders aren't any normal raiders, and nor is their leader. If you really want to know who killed Stoick, then look no further at the cruel tyrant I used to work for. A madman as they called him..."

The way Eret described the mentioned tyrant as merely a madman gave Alvin and Dagur enough of an idea on who the former dragon trapper was talking about, especially since they knew who he once was before he joined Berk. They may have not been there when _he _attacked Berk, but they had definitely heard word of his defeat after he supposedly drowned in the ocean.

No doubt it was the man behind all the trouble that their tribes went through years ago when they were at war with the Dragon Flyers and the Dragon Hunters.

"You're talking about Drago Bludvist, eh?" asked Alvin. "I thought that pathetic excuse of a dragon-god drowned after what Hiccup did to him."

"Well, he did… but at the same time he also didn't, and now that he's leading the orcs, he has what he needs to wipe all three of our tribes off the map of Midgard; and that goes for _every_ _other_ tribe we know of," stated Gobber, but both chieftains gave off questioning looks towards one another._ 'What are they on about?' _Alvin and Dagur both wondered.

Dagur crossed his arms, staring back at Gobber. "Why should we believe you? After all the disputes that my tribe has gone through with you, we don't trust you. Plus, this sounds ridiculous. What kind of name is that? An _orc? _Is that really what you call those raiders?"

"Aye... he has a point," agreed Alvin.

"First off, that's what they call themselves. It's just what it is," Eret responded angrily. "Secondly, while you two continued making your little disputes against us over rocks and wood, those orcs have done more to us than just _raid_ us! They took over the Island of Tomorrow, and then under Drago they killed our chieftain, and THEN they went over to the east and west to attack the elves and dwarves! Do you understand that _Berk_ is not the only thing standing in their way!? We've called you here to tell you that your tribes are in danger for Odin's sake-!"

"Now you're just over exaggerating, muscle boy," sighed Dagur. "What proof do you even have to show us that this is true?"

"They 'ave us ya bugger!"

The sudden voice of a dwarf boomed out towards them from behind Valka. Through the fog, a short yet muscular figure, armored in fine dwarven plate armor, came marching in with a taller and leaner figure accompanying him, wearing well-forged elven armor and silk cloth.

Yet it was clear that both of their attires were sets of gear not meant for ordinary warriors. They were meant for kings.

Before Alvin and Dagur came the kings of Lightwood and Khaz'ardul; Lornduil and Morgrim, both giving the two chieftains distasteful looks after what they heard.

Lornduil crossed his arms. "Hmph. These are the two chieftains you told us about? Well aren't I surprised."

"Whoa wait- hold up a minute!" began Dagur, giving off a look of surprise as if he now _believed_ them. "I was never told that the elves and dwarves would be involved in-"

"Oh shut up, will you?" sighed the elven king with a blank yet disappointed look. "It's a shame that you both refuse to believe the truth that these three are trying to tell you. You are more ignorant than we thought."

"And so, we've come tae educate both ya brainless oafs!" stated Morgrim as his words came out in a way that told both chieftains to shut their mouths. After that, neither Alvin or Dagur spoke back.

Despite what the two kings had to say however, it was clear Valka had enough proof to shut down what the two chieftains had to argue. And now, she had room to talk.

Alvin however rose a brow, looking at Valka with questioning. "Why did bring us here?"

"Well… now that you mention it, let's sit down and talk about it," she said calmly. "We're going to have a long discussion…"

…

* * *

"Is that it up ahead?" called out Astrid, pointing towards a lonely peak in the distance. "Is that the mountain Ragnar told us about?"

"Looks to be so," nodded Hiccup confirmingly. "Well gang, I think it's safe to say that we've finally arrived!"

From afar in the distance, a small, isolated mountain stood overlooking the rolling plains with dragons flying over and around it, whilst a lone storm cloud brewed above its peak like birds flocking to prepare for a migration. To Hiccup, it was clear where they were.

It was the nest of the storm dragons of Votunheim.

"I can't believe it," said Fishlegs excitedly. "We're going to see new dragons! I wonder what classes they're going to be! Some strike classes? Tracker classes? Maybe even mystery cla-"

"Yes Fishlegs, we get it! You're excited to see new dragons!" nodded Astrid, slightly irritated from Fishlegs's constant boast of excitement. "What _I_ wonder is if they'll attack us if we get too close to them."

"They shouldn't," responded back Arn. "The votun are known to fly on them once a year during the Festival of the Aesir. Because of this, the storm dragons came to respect them and many others."

"Well then that's a plus for us," smirked Hiccup. "Now, what say we speed this up a bit? Full speed ahead, gang!"

With a tap of his foot, Toothless immediately sped up as the other dragons quickly followed and proceeded to hasten their flight, but it was not until they neared the mountain that they began to slow down. Being more up close to it, both dragon and rider had a closer look of the towering rock.

They saw how small packs of dragons of multiple dragon classes flew around the mountain like flocks of enormous birds, and these dragons were not small. They were large enough for votun to mount on top of them, and as the riders knew, votun were half-giants, so to imagine one of their warriors riding one of these creatures was quite insane to Hiccup, yet as he and the others got closer and closer to the nest, the storm dragons surprisingly did not mind them… but it wasn't until when Hiccup and the others spotted the entrance into the nest and began flying towards it that they caught their attention.

"Everyone stay close," called out Hiccup. "And make sure to keep it cool."

The way into the mountain was like a large cave, enough to fit through dozens of dragons at a time, and as Hiccup and the riders slowed their dragons to halt before landing them one by one in front of the great entrance atop the green grass, something out of the corner of their eyes caught their gazes.

"Uhh… what the heck is that?" asked Ruffnut as she pointed a finger up towards a dragon, specifically a Skrill, flying down towards them before landing down right in front of them with a swift impact.

Although they did not make a move against it, the Skrill lightly huffed out air and gave a defensive stance, and from what Hiccup could understand in Dragonese, the dragon was clearly not welcoming to them.

_"Turn back, strangers," _the Skrill said as it took a step forward. _"We do not allow outsiders into our nest. I ask that you leave at once…"_

Before Hiccup could say anything else however, more and more storm dragons began to show up, all composing of different dragon classes with some of them being dragons that they had never seen before, and one by one they circled the vikings and their dragons.

Up close, they seemed slightly intimidating due to their size. Clearly they were defensive of their nest to outsiders, but did not threaten nor get aggressive with the group.

However, the gang and their dragons still did not move, and more and more dragons began to surround them.

_"I won't tell you again, stranger," _gnarled the Skrill, this time with further irritation in his dragonly tone. _"Turn away, now. We don't want to hurt you."_

What followed next however was unexpected, both to Hiccup, the group, and the storm dragons… Suddenly a loud and powerful dragon roar bellowed in the air all around them, giving off a presence and causing for the winged reptiles that were surrounding them to back up, and then swiftly and surprisingly, fly off with haste.

All of them had flown off in multiple directions, leaving Hiccup and the group alone once more.

"What… was that?" asked Astrid, baffled at what had just happened.

"I don't know, but from what I understood in Dragonese, that Skrill was not so kind to us," said Hiccup as he gazed around, showing the same confusion on his face. "More importantly, where did that roar come from-?"

Suddenly it boomed again. The same dragon roar that they heard only a moment ago filled the air, and as they tilted their heads up towards the source of it, they saw another dragon heading towards them, but this one was different. It was larger, had longer wings, and looked more like the type of dragon that the Dragon Guardian Voltraxion was, but with a lighter color of purple. For some reason, Hiccup had a good feeling about it.

As it landed before them with a graceful and gentle dive onto the rolling grass, the dragon bowed its head in respect to young vikings before out of the blue - started to speak.

"Strangers," spoke the dragon in common. "I apologize for the trouble my dragons were giving you. Nowadays we are careful of who passes by our mountain. News of the orcs making their attacks on the votun has kept our heads low, and we still have problems of our own…"

After hearing its voice, Hiccup quickly noted the fact that the dragon was a female. If she was who he thought she was, then clearly they were lucky to meet the dragon that they had been sent out to find.

"It's all good," he nodded. "I must say though, I'm surprised you can speak in common. I thought only the Three Guardians had the ability to do that."

"Only few dragons can speak in common, but of course, I can speak," chuckled the dragoness. "I am the alpha of the storm dragons. My name is Velthora."

"Velthora?" asked Arn. "You mean you're leader of the storm dragons?"

"The very same," she nodded. "And who are you, young strangers? Why do you and your dragons come before my nest?"

"We came here looking for you, Velthora," said Hiccup. "My name is Hiccup Haddock. These are my friends; Astrid, Fishlegs, Arn, Snotlout, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut… we were sent here by chief Ragnar of the Dragonskarn to ask for your-"

"Wait," interrupted the alpha dragon. "Ragnar sent you, you say? The leader of the votun?"

"He sure did," replied Fishlegs. "And it's for something important you need to know about… something we need help with."

A moment of silence followed. Velthora peered out into the open plains behind them and towards the general direction of the Dragonskarn capital which she could see far off in the distance. She then let out a _"hmph" _before looking back at the vikings with a curious look.

_"_Come with me," she answered. "I want to know what you and him are dealing."

…

* * *

Although the majority of the storm dragons nested within the vast caverns of the small mountain, some of them preferred to live high atop the tall cliffs of the summit, and this was no exception to Velthora.

At the very top of the mountain, the vikings and their dragons sat down around a large bonfire with the alpha dragon, which she had lit with the use of her lightning.

Above them, a soft stormy cloud rolled over - lightly blotting out the sun, but not too much. Not to the point where it was barely visible. It was just right, and surprisingly, it was a bit soothing for Hiccup and his friends.

Velthora gave a satisfied sigh. "Are you all comfortable?" she asked, to which they all nodded.

"We're grateful for the hospitality, Velthora," said Astrid with a smirk.

"It's the least I could do, my friend," the dragoness replied as she bowed her head. "Regardless, we should get down to business."

"Very well," nodded Hiccup. "You see, the reason we came here is because of the threat we're dealing with. There's a main concern at hand that Ragnar wants you to know about, and that's the orcs."

Velthora lightly shook her head as she bent her hind legs and sat down. "The orcs aren't a surprise to me. We've been facing them for a while now here and there, even as their hold in the east of the Votunheim expands... How is this supposed to be news to me?"

"It's not the orcs from the east that we're worried about, it's the orcs coming from the west _into_ Votunheim," replied Arn. "One of Ragnar's commanders betrayed him to the enemy, siding up with the orcs and the Dark Legions, and as well as becoming a lieutenant to their warlord; Drago Bludvist."

"We overheard both him and Drago discussing plans for an invasion on Votunheim," added on Hiccup. "They're readying a legion of orcs and dark followers and are preparing to march on the pass leading into the region. If they make it into Votunheim, both you and the votun will be wiped out."

"I see... And how many are we speaking of here?" asked Velthora, now almost hesitant. "What are they sending at us?"

"All we know is that they're bringing orcs," said Astrid. "Thousands of them will flood the pass, and it will be enough to wipe out the votun before they go for you next, and so we're asking you to make a stand with us, Velthora… if both you and the votun stand together and fight, there may be a chance to not only kick the orcs out, but also kill Drago's lieutenant who is leading the march. Votunheim will be safe."

"...So will you help us?"

The dragon narrowed her eyes down in thought. Clearly she was thinking, but Hiccup saw in her eyes that she was troubled, as if already having to deal with a problem of her own that was too much to not worry about… and surely enough, that would be the case.

"I would say yes," began the dragon. "But there is nothing I can do to help as of right now."

Everyone's eyes widened, baffled as they asked in unison, "What?"

"Well, there goes that idea down the hole," spoke aloud Tuffnut. "We could've kicked some good orc butt as well."

"You don't understand," Velthora continued as she shook her head. "My flight and I already face problems of our own, not from the orcs, but from a creature that's been terrorizing us for months. A giant known as Gordaul keeps attacking our nest and causing us trouble. He comes here, attempting to smash and break as many of our eggs as possible, and, if he can, beat one or two dragons to death if they are unlucky to cross his path… even I alone have trouble dealing with him, and I often end up getting beaten down by him."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot help you while this monster hunts my children and continues desecrating our nest…"

At unexpected as it was, Hiccup still felt pity for the alpha dragon and what her flight had to deal with. When having to deal with something that is slowly chipping away at what one has been struggling to build, it can be extremely demoralizing and burdening to deal with…

However, an idea soon dawned upon Hiccup. He thought about it for a minute or so, and as he broke the moment of silence, he asked, "What if we helped you slay the giant?"

The storm dragon's eyes suddenly widened with bewilderment and shock. "What?" she asked. "Are you serious? You can't deal with a giant! You're only humans! That giant will pick you up and toss you aside as if you were-"

"We still have dragons of our own, Velthora. And we're no ordinary vikings," said Hiccup, to which Toothless made his way closer to his rider and narrowed his head up to look at her, giving her nod.

_"...They may be small, but they have something in them that no viking on Midgard has," _said the Night Fury in Dragonese as the storm dragon looked down at him intriguingly. _"They've used it in battle before, and it's sent our enemies running for the hills. Trust me when I tell you that Hiccup and his friends are your best shot at taking down this giant."_

"Hmm…"

Once more the storm dragon sat in thought of this. Through the votun and from a few of her children, she's heard tales about the vikings. How some have the strength to take down the largest of creatures, while others have the ability to climb a mountain and not look back down in fear, or even fight in battle and barely get scratched - such as the legendary viking Brann whose deeds are as famed as his smile.

In her eyes there was a glimmer of hope. Maybe they _could_ help her fight it off?

That glimmer however left her as both she, Hiccup, and the others suddenly heard a distant roar from down below the mountain interrupt them, followed by another, and another, and then again, another. It was quite strange...

Hiccup arched a brow as he looked back at the alpha with a questioning gaze. "What's going on with your dragons? Are they usually like that?"

Velthora did not respond however. She merely made her way over to the edge to see what was going on. Granted, the mountain was not _that_ large, so she could see everything that was happening down below, and what she saw nearly shook her as she spotted a giant figure in the distance, making its way over with haste, and it was then she knew why her dragons were roaring the way they were as they fled into the safety of the mountain. They were afraid.

"He's here…"

Hiccup's brows both rose up as his assumption took over at what she was gazing at. He stood to his feet, quickly running over to the edge next to Velthora as he looked down. He saw below them what she was staring at even though his sight was not as good as hers, and he knew right away what it was, and nor was it good.

It was a giant.

"Oh boy," sighed Hiccup. "Looks like things are about to get real…"


	36. Fighting With Thunder

**I would like to apologize for the extremely long wait, guys. College began only a few weeks ago, and I was unable to get to work on this chapter right away as I had wanted to. However, I was able to devote my weekends to working on it, but because this chapter was a long one to write, it took quite a while to finish.**

**Regardless, I am glad to be back with another chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

If there was anything Hiccup knew, it was that fighting an aggressive giant was never a good idea.

Giants are known to be one of the strongest races of the nine worlds, coming in different forms such as stone, frost, and fire, or simply just normal giants, and sometimes, they are referred to as a jötunn or as jötnar.

Their statures are also unique. Most giants are twice as tall as votun - whom were already quite large, whilst very few are able to rival the size of mountains.

Thankfully for young vikings, the giant they flew down to engage was nowhere near the size of a mountain, though he was still towering nonetheless. Compared to Hiccup however, the young viking was merely the length of his fingers.

In other words, their foe was not at all to be messed with.

As the giant continued his advance on the nest, the dragons from all around fled at the sight of him. Most flew for the cave leading into the mountain, while others flew up towards the high cliffs of the mountain.

But only six dared to stand against him…

With the storm dragon alpha at their side, Toothless, Stormfly, Hookfang, Meatlug, and Barf and Belch landed before the giant with an aggressive landing - as swift as a falling meteor.

They gave off growling looks at the bald, pale jötunn who wore nothing but a very large loincloth, and yet the brute merely laughed at them.

He did not fear them.

"Heh? What this?" he asked with an unintelligent dialect. "Fleshy winged things want to fight me? Me will crush you like egg!"

"Oh well would you like at that - it can talk. Amazing," replied Hiccup sarcastically.

"Pfft, pleeease," replied Tuffnut. "What's it gonna do to us? Burp in our faces? This thing isn't even-"

Almost immediately, the giant gave off an unexpected answer, and from his mouth he let out a vile and disgusting belch that filled everyone's nostrils with a putrid scent, to which everyone quickly covered their noses and gave off hacked coughs.

It was disgusting.

"Hah! Me very funny," chuckled the giant in a bellowing voice, yet clearly the others did not take it the same way.

"He's worse than your dragon, Fish!" coughed Snotlout, to which Meatlug looked up at him with a light growl.

_"At least I wash myself," _the dragon replied in Dragonese.

"Look, can we not right now?" replied Hiccup, glaring up at the giant. "Our focus is the giant, so let's keep it that way!"

"Hehe! You no stand chance, little bugs!" the jötunn roared, tightening both of his large hands into fists. "Me will enjoy squishing you! Me will kill you!"

"How about you fight already instead of talking stupid!" loudly growled Velthora. "This will be the last time you harm any of my children, or crush any of my eggs that still hold them! Today, it ends!"

"We see!" grunted the giant as it took a step back, preparing to charge the smaller figures. "Get ready for smashy time!"

That was their queue. The giant immediately charged them almost full speed, aiming to brutally beat down the riders and their dragons to bits, including Velthora.

But they had already seen it coming.

"UP! UP!" called out Hiccup.

The young vikings without question maneuvered their dragons to fly upwards. But as they flew up, they looked back down and saw that Velthora did not follow. Instead, she engaged the giant head on.

The two combatants met face to face. Velthora threw herself on top of the giant, knocking him onto his back as she started to bite and scratch at him whilst he struggled to throw her off. Though she was not as big as the jötunn, she was still considered a large foe to him.

"GRAH! GET OFF ME, WING-THING!" roared the jötunn as he began punching his giant-sized fists into Velthora, aiming for the head, the neck, or whatever he could get his hands on - but the storm dragon alpha still held her ground as she fought.

The dragon riders meanwhile from up above were witnessing the whole fight, watching as the two large figures threw hit after hit at one another.

"We can't just let that thing beat her down!" called out Snotlout. "Let's blow 'em up!"

Arn, who sat behind Hiccup, shook his head in disagreement. "And risk injuring Velthora? That won't work! We need to think of something else before we-"

"Don't engage!" immediately responded Hiccup. "Not yet…"

Everyone's eyes suddenly locked onto Hiccup, as they all replied in surprised unison, "What?"

"You heard me," added Hiccup. "We can't attack that giant while it's busy focusing on Velthora. We might hit her without even hitting the giant at all. When he's exposed, _then_ we'll charge in and attack him!"

"Uhh, Hiccup? Would now be a good time?" questioned Fishlegs, pointing a finger down towards the fight down below.

The young chieftain spun back to face the dragon and the giant, only for his eyes to suddenly widen.

He saw as Velthora with a swift and powerful throw was hurled back by the jötunn. The towering giant managed to get his hands around the dragon, enough to where he could mightily yet unexpectedly throw her down to the ground.

This separated the two combatants... But also left the giant vulnerable and exposed for attack.

Hiccup quickly looked back at the other riders and motioned with his hand to fly their dragons full speed ahead.

"GO GO GO! CHARGE IN!" he immediately shouted as he and the riders maneuvered their dragons to fly down towards the jötunn advancing on the downed alpha, and as they bolted towards the giant, Toothless and the other dragons lit their mouths up with flames, ready to fire all they had at the brute.

"Hah! Foolish little winged thing!" laughed the jötunn, looming over Velthora who laid on her side, attempting to regather her strength. "You fail to beat me, and now me win! Me will crush you like how me smash small eggs! Me will- GRAGH!"

The giant screamed out in a sudden burst of pain as a blast of fire hit the back of his head, and as Velthora looked up, she saw the young vikings and their dragons dive bombing towards the giant, ready to take the reins of the fight.

"I think you forgot about us, big buddy!" called out Astrid, taunting the already angry jötunn with a rude gesture. "Let me help you with that burn!"

Before the giant even knew it however, the shieldmaiden out of nowhere conjured up fire in her right hand, and in the form of a fireball, she launched her spell straight towards the large brute.

Surprisingly, her aim was extremely accurate as her spell managed to hit the jötunn right below his left eye, and as it bursted upon impact, the sparks from the flames flew across his face like dust.

And then, into his eye.

"GRAAAAAAGH!" screamed the giant. "ME CAN'T SEE! OW, LEFT EYE! OWW!"

With the giant distracted, Velthora took the opportunity and stood on all fours, swiftly flying off towards a safer distance away from the giant where she could recover from being bashed and beaten.

"Fight on without me!" the storm dragon called out. "I can't take him on like this…"

This was their chance. Hiccup immediately unsheathed his sword, holding it tightly in his left hand, and with a snap of his fingers he conjured up fire in the other like a candle, and poked at the tip of his weapon, setting the blade aflame.

The young viking and his Night Fury suddenly bolted forward ahead of the group, maneuvering towards the side of the giant - and as they neared their large opponent, Hiccup raised his blade up to his shoulder and prepared for a heavy swing.

_SLASH!_

What followed was the sound of a sword finding its mark. As Hiccup flew past the giant, he struck his sword into the side of the brute's left arm, making a deep and long wound whilst also causing further pain for him as he still struggled with the pain in his eye.

Arn, who still rode behind Hiccup, gave a chuckle. "Nice one, Hiccup!"

And soon, the rest of the riders would follow their chieftain's lead as they equipped their weapons in hand and made their own attacks at the giant upon passing by him.

Astrid made a decisive hack with her axe into the giant's right shoulder. Fishlegs aimed for the face and gave a mighty bash with his hammer. Snotlout sliced and diced his sword across the exposed side of the jötunn's chest, leaving painful cuts. And the Twins with their spears stabbed and poked where they could reach, and soon, the giant was left bellowing in anger as he recovered his sight.

"FLESHY HUMANS THINK THEY BEAT ME!?" shouted the giant who was now boiling in deep anger. "YOU PAY! ME KILL YOU!"

"Don't count on it, big man!" called out Hiccup as he and the others landed their dragons a safe distance behind the giant, and rather than continuing the fight in the air, the young vikings dismounted their winged companions and readied themselves for the jötunn, whose anger was nearing a new peak.

Eventually, the pain in the giant's left eye wore off, allowing for him to at last shift his focus with both intimidating eyes towards his foes.

"Oh boy, nooow he looks mad," commented Fishlegs as he backed up several footsteps, keeping his hammer pointed at the giant. "I don't even know if this is going to end well or not."

Astrid rolled her eyes with a sigh as she looked back at him. "Fishlegs, have you forgotten who we are?" she asked as she raised the blade of her axe to her shoulder, and almost immediately, her weapon lit up with a magical enchantment of fire.

One by one, Fishlegs and the Twins repeated what Astrid did, lighting their weapons aflame in preparation for the giant who was already advancing on them.

"Everyone stay back. Let me go first," said Hiccup, receiving nods from the others.

He then looked back at his dragon, and motioned with his hand for him to follow. "Let's go bud."

Toothless grinned, detracting his teeth. _"Thought you'd never ask." _

The two immediately ran full speed ahead towards the oncoming jötunn, knowing that one way or another, they had to make the first blow. One mistake, and that was it, both for them and possibly the rest of their group. They _had_ to make this count.

Soon, both Hiccup and Toothless, as well as the jötunn, stood face to face. The grip on the young viking's fiery blade tightened in his left hand as he glared up at the giant, who was by then so tensed with anger, that he could snap and go into a rage at any moment.

"YOU…" the large being bellowed. "YOU THINK YOU BEAT ME? YOU NEVER BEAT ME! NEVER WILL! YOU DIE! YOU LOSE!"

"I don't know," snickered Hiccup. "Judging by all those marks and cuts across your arms and chest, you seem to be the one getting beaten up. And if you look at us, you can clearly see-"

"OH SHUT UUUP!" the jötunn interrupted. "YOU WANT REAL FIGHT!? ME GIVE YOU REAL FIGHT!"

The giant took a step forward and immediately made his first move. His hulking right hand tightened into a fist as he aimed to bring it down onto Hiccup and Toothless like a large club.

But as he attempted to land his hit, both the rider and his dragon swiftly leaped backwards just in time for them to dodge the giant's attack, and before he could lift his fist and make another move, Hiccup and Toothless retaliated.

The young chieftain quickly ran forward towards the large fist, and with two swift attacks, Hiccup struck two small but searing cuts across the giant's hand. This in turn made the jötunn enraged, but before he could even make another attack on the lad, Toothless charged up a quick yet strong plasma blast and launched it straight for the giant's chest.

The impact of the blast caused an explosion that sent smoke flying into his face, as well as sparks striking across his chest. It was powerful enough to nearly stumble back the large combatant onto his back, but unfortunately he still stood his ground.

However, his footing became slightly unbalanced, and this gave Astrid and the rest of the group along with their dragons an opportunity to rush forward and join the fight.

Hiccup's face spun back around towards his friends, and shouted, "Everyone! Charge in!"

The group didn't hesitate. With their dragons at their side, the vikings began to charge into the fray to meet the giant head-on, and as well as to assist their leader, yet as Hiccup's attention turned back to the giant, he saw that the brute had just about recovered from Toothless's plasma blast, and was ready for round two.

The giant straightened out his posture and glared back down at Hiccup with red beady eyes, and after not even a moment, he rushed towards the young chieftain and his dragon, raising his left hand up to bring it and swat away the two small figures as if swatting at a mosquito.

Hiccup screamed, "Look out!" as the giant's open hand came crashing down and around towards both him and Toothless, but with a quick enough reaction, the two managed to dodge just in time for the attack to miss.

Hiccup laid on his front as the giant's hand passed over him like a preying eagle, but even as he stood to his feet, the jötunn immediately continued with another fist aimed towards the two combatants.

Again, the viking and the dragon successfully dodged the jötunn's strike as his fist crashed into the ground like a falling boulder. But as he stepped back and prepared for another aggressive swing...

"Stormfly, spineshot!"

Astrid suddenly called out for her dragon to attack, and from the Nadder's tail, spines flew out towards the giant, and one by one they impaled into the brute's right shoulder like a dozen flying needles, causing him to roar in anger.

"GRAAAAGH!"

Hiccup's head spun back to face the rest of the group running to rally up with him. With their weapons in hand and their dragons ready for a brawl, there was no doubt that the fight was about to intensify.

To this, Hiccup motioned them onwards, and the group gladly followed on with their chieftain.

The giant watched with surprised eyes as the rest of the young vikings and their dragons began charging towards him, but at the same time he gave a wicked grin. After all, that meant more enemies for him to bash in and smash.

Now the true fight began.

Like when fighting the orcs, Hiccup played it smarter rather than attempting to use brute force. He knew he was the center of attention to the jötunn, so instead of going on the offensive, he fought defensively whilst keeping watch of the giant's attacks. The young viking dodged, leaped, countered, and did whatever he could to make sure the giant did not hit him.

At the same time however, the giant had to deal with the riderless dragons that were flying around from afar, breathing out their flames at him as a means of distraction.

But that did not stop him.

At one point, the jötunn's left fist landed crash down in front of Hiccup, to which the young chieftain then took his fiery blade and stabbed as deep as he could into the hulking hand before pulling it out as swiftly and as strong as he could.

For the giant, it was agonizingly painful.

"AAAAGH! MY HAND!"

Compared to Hiccup's last attacks which felt like stings for the brute, that single stab felt like a knife digging into him.

The giant in response brought his left hand back and prepared to make a counterattack. But before he could, he felt something lob into the side of his right foot.

"GRA- OUCH!"

Whilst the giant was focused on Hiccup, Astrid had managed to sneak up to the brute and make her mark. She hacked her axe into the giant's foot, chopping and swinging at it over and over as if it were a tree, but at the same time, she managed to grab his attention.

The giant turned his gaze from Hiccup and onto Astrid, who began to back up.

"GRR... YOU PAY FOR THAT!" yelled out the giant.

"Oh Freya," she gulped.

Almost immediately, the jötunn lifted his foot up and prepared to stomp down on Astrid and crush her, but at the very last second, the shieldmaiden let out a sharp whistle and raised her arm straight up, and as the giant brought his foot down…

He felt only the ground hit against the face of his foot. "WHAT!?"

In the mere nick of time, Stormfly had swooped down with haste and successfully managed to grab ahold of Astrid and save her from being brutally crushed by the giant.

However, the giant refused for the shieldmaiden to fly off like that after slicing a grievous wound in the side of his foot, thus he began reaching one of his hands up towards the young viking and her Nadder in an attempt to grab them before they could get away, and as his hand closed in on them...

An immediate stinging pain suddenly filled the giant's hand reaching for them, causing an angry yelp to escape his mouth.

But as he looked at the back of his hand, he noticed that there was a flame-lit spear impaled into it.

"Good job, idiot! You wasted your spear!" angrily spoke Ruffnut.

"Well it worked, didn't it?" asked Tuffnut. "There's no way that giant's gonna notice who it was. I say I'm a genius for doing tha-"

It was then that Tuffnut's words suddenly to a halt as the sound of something landing right near him caught his attention. Specifically, the sound of his weapon landing impaled into the ground. Even though the giant was nearly brainless, he was not stupid enough to realize who threw the spear.

They both looked up at the oncoming giant with intimidated looks as they figured that they had possibly just screwed up... were it not for a certain Barf and Belch, who responded to the giant advancing on their riders with a fiery surprise.

The two-headed dragon dive-bombed at the giant from the side as Barf and Belch lit their own body aflame and became a literal diving wheel of fire - falling down towards the giant like a boulder launched from a catapult.

Upon hitting the giant, an explosion of bright fire bursted across his body like wildfire, but at the same time, the impact managed to cause the brute to fall down onto his back.

...Down onto where Arn stood.

The young viking hastily began backing up as the giant slowly came crashing down, but seeing that he would not make it, Arn quickly bolted to the side and rolled out of the way just in the nick of time, saving himself from a brutal and crushing death by the jötunn.

Arn fell to his knees, breathing heavily from the suspense as a cloud of dust surrounded him as a result of the giant's fall. His hand held onto the hilt of his blade as he furiously stabbed his weapon the ground.

Ruffnut's eyes were widened with amusement and shock. "That… was…"

"Awesome!" replied Tuffnut. "Let's do that again!"

"Grr… Are you crazy!?" angrily shouted Arn as he stood to his feet, picking up his sword. "Your dragon sent that jötunn falling on top of me! I could have died there and then! I-!"

"Take it easy, Arn," interrupted Hiccup. "What matters for you is that you made it out alive, and as long as that giant's down, he shouldn't bother us anymore. I think we can say that he's-"

"GRAAAAAAGH!"

Everyone's faces suddenly went pale as the startling roar from the giant caught their attention, and before they knew it, the towering figure slowly began to get back up.

"GET BACK!" called out Hiccup as he for gestured Arn to get moving. "Toothless, get by my side!"

"Oh boy," said Tuffnut as he picked up his spear. "This is gonna be lit!"

Immediately the vikings started running to a safer distance, and the dragons began to fly down to their riders; rallying together as the jötunn stood back up on his feet.

But rather than making a sudden move, the giant just stood there, glaring angrier than ever at the young vikings, whom were all grouped up with their weapons pointed forward and their dragons by their sides.

They saw now how cut up and burnt the giant was from all of their attacks. His hands bled, and his face was charred from smoke and dragon fire, yet the expression he gave showed that he was sick of dealing with them.

"YOU!" he bellowed. "YOU CUT ME WITH STABBY THINGS! YOU BURN ME WITH STUPID LIZARDS! ME NO HAVE TIME FOR THIS! NEST, IS, MINE!"

With that, the giant turned his back to the riders, and began running towards the mountain behind him. Towards the storm dragons' nest.

"We can't let him reach the nest! AFTER HIM!" shouted Hiccup.

The riders immediately mounted their dragons without a word, and swiftly flew off after the rampaging jötunn. Hiccup knew that should the giant reach the nest, the damage he could cause could kill more storm dragons than he had killed before.

Hiccup looked over to the others, and called out to them, "Cut him off! Block his way into the nest!"

As ordered, all of the riders quickly maneuvered their dragons to fly around the jötunn who was closing in on the cave leading into the mountain, but as he came close, he found himself confronted by the dragons and their riders, blocking his way forward.

Toothless fired a warning shot at the giant, hitting him square in the face and telling him to back off, but the giant merely roared out in full-on anger. After everything the young vikings did to him, he could not hold it, and soon he began yelling out insults and curses - yet his poor dialect almost made it seem like all the more of a reason to laugh.

"STOOPID STOOPID WINGY THINGS AND FLESHY HUMANS!" bellowed the giant. "YOU KEEP WASTING TIME! YOU NOW DID IT FOR THE LAST TIME. ME GOING TO STOMP YOUR FACES IN 'TILL YOU PILE OF BONES. ME GOING TO…"

As the giant continued rambling on however, Hiccup saw the opportunity to make a quick but sketchy plan whilst he was not listening.

"We'll need to draw him away," said Hiccup, speaking over the jötunn. "But we'll need someone to distract him. Are any of you guys willing to-"

"Say no more," interrupted Snotlout, grabbing everyone's eyes onto him. "I'll handle this."

"Wait- are you sure?" asked Hiccup. "I still need to explain what we have to do to-"

Snotlout ignored Hiccup's question however, and maneuvered his dragon Hookfang to descend to the ground, and upon landing, Snotlout swiftly dismounted off his dragon's back before signaling for him to fly back up to the others. That left the young viking alone by himself down below, yet surprisingly, the giant was still rambling.

"ME GOING TO BREAK BONES! MAKE HANDS AND FEET BROKEN! SMASH YOU TO-!"

Immediately the jötunn found himself cut off as something hit the corner of his eye. He yelped as he felt a familiar stinging sensation, and as he looked down, he saw a small lone figure - throwing rocks at him whilst also making rude gestures.

"Hey, thick-head!" called out Snotlout. "You think you're so tough!? I bet even a goblin could take on that ugly face of yours!"

"UGLY FACE!?" screamed the giant. "HOW DARE!"

"I dare alright!" laughed Snotlout. "You wanna stomp on me?! Try and catch me, then!"

"GRAAAAAAGH!"

The giant began to heavily advance on Snotlout. With the plan now in motion, Snotlout did what he could do best in that moment, and got moving...

But the young Jorgenson started running TOWARDS the giant rather than away from it. To this, Hiccup was confused yet also shocked.

"Snotlout, what are you doing!?" questioned Hiccup. "You're supposed to lead it away, not fight it!"

"No! Trust me, Hiccup, I know what I'm doing!" called back Snotlout who soon engaged the giant - starting with a stab to his left gigantic-sized foot, but the giant was having none of it.

"Gah! Not again! NOT AGAIN!" roared the jötunn as he raised his left foot and attempted to stomp down on the young viking, but Snotlout quickly reacted and dodged out of the way.

The giant slammed his left foot into the ground, missing his attack, and Snotlout meanwhile had managed to get behind his right foot, so again, he made his move. This time, he slashed his sword heavily across the heel of the giant, and the giant bellowed out in pain.

Snotlout again got moving as he still had the attention of the giant drawn onto him, but it was by this point that Hiccup knew what the Jorgenson was trying to do.

If they could do enough damage to the giant whilst his attention was focused on Snotlout, then they could knock him off balance and onto his back, to which they could then finish him off and be rid of him.

Hiccup smirked, finding the idea well formulated.

"Everyone, get in there! We must help out Snotlout!"

Hiccup and Toothless were the first ones to rush ahead towards Snotlout, and quickly the other riders followed and flew their dragons toward the jötunn.

...Yet as they engaged the giant, EVERYTHING turned upside down, away from their favor.

Hiccup noticed that even though their dragons were doing all they could against the giant, it seemed as if the brute was ignoring the pain from their fire. At this point, the jötunn did not care a single bit, and the group soon realized that their plan was quickly falling apart.

"What the Hel is going on here!?" asked Astrid in shock. "Our dragons' attacks aren't doing anything to him!"

"Hit the giant harder!" called out Arn.

"My dragon's doing everything she can! It's not working!" replied Fishlegs.

Everything seemed to be quickly going downhill. What started out as a good plan quickly became a failed ploy, and before anyone knew it, the giant had his hands around Snotlout.

The jötunn had managed to reach his right hand down to grab ahold of the young viking who attempted to climb up his ankle, and the sight of this made everyone's stomachs sink with suspense.

"SNOTLOUT!" yelled Hiccup, now tensing up as worry and fear filled his voice.

"Grr… let… me… go!" grunted Snotlout, struggling to escape the clutch of the giant who glared at him intensely with an expression filled with exhaustion, pure rage, and irritation.

"Now you see what happens when you mess with me, hummie!" said the giant, breathing heavily. "Now. You. DIE!"

What followed was something that truly horrified Hiccup and the rest of the gang. The giant raised his hand up, and as if throwing a rock into a river, he aimed towards the base of the mountain and threw Snotlout so hard, that the impact blew a small crater into the mountain and sent the young Jorgenson screaming. But the only sound they heard afterwards was the sound of rocks breaking and crumbling.

And then nothing. Afterwards, all they heard was an eerie, dreadful silence.

"NOOOOO!" screamed Hiccup, with his hand reaching out upon realizing that he was too late to reach Snotlout. "No no no no NO NO NO! IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS! It… can't…!"

"I- I can't believe it," said Astrid. "Is he-?"

"It can't be…" whispered Fishlegs as his voice cracked.

A longer silence followed. The only thing Hiccup and the others saw from where they hovered was the blown in crater, without a sign of Snotlout's broken body. They could not believe it. After all that they worked for, all that they had sacrificed and had done for Berk... they now lose a member of their group? Even now, the riders felt dread take them over as light storm clouds began to roll in overhead, blocking out the sun.

Was this really how it ended for Snotlout?

The giant however, was laughing at the sight of this, and this gave Hiccup even more of a reason to utterly destroy him.

_"I don't believe it…" _lightly huffed Hookfang, speaking in Dragonese._ "I've failed him."_

"You see now?" the giant asked them. "This what happen when you stand between me and eggs to smash. Your friend dead, and me win. Now do good thing, and fly away, or be like your friend."

Hiccup sighed, looking down with a broken face. He could not believe it. Snotlout really was dead, wasn't he? And in that moment, despair overtook him to his core. What else could he say or do? He was now lost…

They failed to save Snotlout the same way they could not save his father…

…

But then, something caught their attention.

In the hole where Snotlout laid, a purple spark of light quickly flashed, followed by the sound of a light crackle. At first, none of the young vikings took much note of it, but then another spark of light lit up - this time brighter, and with a _ZAP._ And then another followed. And then another. And then another.

Soon, everyone's eyes were gazing towards the small blown-in crater. The light started to become even brighter, and as it did, lightning was also beginning to crackle the skies with the sound of thunder booming in the wind. But what they soon realized was that what they were seeing was no mere light, because what they saw next was beyond words.

They saw lightning strike out of the rocky crater. Purple lightning.

Arn's eyes widened. "What's going on…?"

Soon the lightning began to intensify. It struck wildly like a thunderstorm, sending bolts of electricity flying out like a dragon speeding towards their prey, and it did not stop. What Hiccup felt earlier turned into renewed hope, and before he knew it...

"I'm not… done… YET!"

An explosion of lightning bursted out from the crater, widening it out, and from it, Snotlout came flying out; hands and eyes glowing with purple lightning as well as his sword, and of course, his face glared with pure anger.

With his free hand, Snotlout aimed towards the giant, and proceeded charging up the raw power of lightning that was coursing through him as if Thor himself had blessed him, and from his palm, a large and mighty lightning bolt came shooting out towards the giant, landing a straight direct hit on him whilst also making sure that he did not hit his fellow vikings.

"AAAAGH!"

The giant let out an earth-shattering roar as purple electricity ran up and down his body. The lightning bolt was so powerful, it felt as if it were from point-blank range, and it even managed to knock him down on his back with a hard fall.

Everyone's jaws dropped at the sight of this, and as Snotlout made a safe landing down below, he glanced up at the riders and gave them a nod, showing that he was unharmed and alright.

"I knew it!" Arn said to himself, realizing there and then that the sixth Wing of Midgard had come at last.

Snotlout made a safe landing on the ground as he glared at the downed jötunn. He was not done with him yet, and thus he began to run towards his large foe.

The giant breathed heavily as he attempted to stand back up. However, he only managed to get to his knees before noticing Snotlout who was closing in on him.

"YOU THINK YOURSELF SO TOUGH, HUMAN?" bellowed the giant in question. "ME SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN-"

His words came to a halt as the familiar pain of lightning ran down his spine and body. Once again, Snotlout casted a bolt of lightning magic towards the head of the giant, causing further pain as well as preventing him from being able to speak - similar to if a Skrill were to strike someone's head.

"AHGLOGA FWUHFU BUH!" the giant spoke angrily, but only mere gibberish came out of his mouth.

Snotlout came to a halt before the jötunn, and once more, gave rude gestures towards the large brute.

"Hey muttonhead!" he shouted, pointing his sword out in a taunting manner. "I have bad news for you; you failed to kill me!"

"Wanna try again?"

The jötunn merely responded angrily with, "DAIAHHH!" before he began to charge Snotlout, and though the lad did not at all understand what said, he could only assume that the giant screamed, "DIE!"

"Wrong answer, big man!" said Snotlout as he counter-charged the giant.

The two combatants met once more, with the giant making the first strike as he attempted to bring a fist down and around as if swinging a club, but Snotlout was able to quickly maneuver himself out of the way with a forward roll to dodge the jötunn's attack. The young viking then stood up and ran towards the giant's already cut-up left foot and performed a wide swing, cutting a long slice across his man-sized toes.

Enraged, the giant brought his foot back in an attempt to kick away Snotlout and send him flying back, but as he was about to swing it forward, he noticed the lad holding on tightly to his ankle, and slowly, the viking began climbing up his gigantic leg as if it were a tree.

The giant blabbered out, "RWAAH! GEH OUEF MEEEH!" which was his attempt in trying to yell out, "GET OFF ME!" at the Jorgenson.

His hand reached down to grab the small figure, but as Snotlout looked back up at the giant with his glaring and glowing eyes, he raised his hand out, once again charging up his lightning magic before unleashing another bolt of energy at the jötunn's open palm. Though it was not as powerful as his first attack, it was still enough to force the giant to pull his hand back as he yelped out a bellowing, "OUCH!"

Before the giant knew it however, Snotlout was more than half-way up his colossal body. He loosely hung at the side of his waist like a leaf, waiting for an opportunity so that he could continue his way up.

And soon, the momentum came.

As the giant reached out towards Snotlout, the young viking did not strike. Instead, he leaped towards the large right hand, landing with his arms grasped around the wrist. Like a swing he swung himself up, ending atop the giant's hand.

And from there, the tide begun to turn.

He proceeded running up the jötunn's arm as if it were a hill, but the giant attempted to reach with the other hand and crush Snotlout. Again however, the viking merely leaped his way onto the other hand, and continued his way up as if it were nothing.

Eventually, Snotlout would make it up to his shoulder, and it was then that he had to make a decision.

How would he finish off this giant that had been pestering them for long enough? _'Maybe with a gigantic lightning bolt?'_ he thought to himself.

As he thought about this, the jötunn once more tried reaching out to grab Snotlout, to which the lad quickly reacted by casting another lightning bolt, but not to the giant's hand. Instead, he aimed for the eyes.

The bolt to the jötunn's eyes not only stung immensely, but also blinded him as he covered his eyes from the enormous pain that he felt, thus he could no longer do anything against Snotlout.

Victory was finally in his grasp.

Snotlout proceeded his way up towards the giant's head, climbing to the top, and for a moment, it felt as if time itself had slowed down all around him...

As he stood silently atop the giant's head, gripping his blade tightly in-hand, he looked down at his exposed and weakened foe with an expressionless look, all while the skies above him crackled with the fury of Thor. It was time that he did what this giant tried to do both to him and his friends. This was vengeance.

Snotlout placed his sword in both of his hands before pointing the tip of his weapon towards the giant's skull, and with a clean stab, he finally brought it down…

…

* * *

From afar, Hiccup and the others saw everything that Snotlout did, and when he plunged his sword into the giant's skull, that's when they knew that it was finally over with that brute.

Thunder boomed across the land, and from there, the only thing they saw from the giant was his dead body falling down onto his back as Snotlout made a victorious leap off of his corpse, surprisingly all without injuring himself from the fall.

The young Jorgenson breathed heavily as the stormy magic glowing in his eyes faded, and soon the clouds from above followed as they slowly blew off into the west, allowing for the golden sun and blue sky to come out once more.

There was a peaceful moment of silence. Snotlout sighed as he took a few steps forward from the corpse of his fallen foe, and allowed himself to gather his thoughts.

"What just happened…?" he asked himself.

Before he could try to put the pieces of the puzzle together however, a familiar voice called out to him, and as he looked up, he saw the distant figures of his friends flying towards him from atop their dragons.

"Snotlout!"

Hiccup called out towards Snotlout, waving to him as he and the rest of the group landed their dragons before the exhausted viking, pleased, but also shocked, that he was still alive even after what the giant did to him.

"Snotlout," said Hiccup as he hastily dismounted off of Toothless and approached the tired lad with a pat on the shoulder. "Are you alright? Is anything broken?"

"...Doesn't seem like it," replied Snotlout, inspecting himself from shoulder to toe. "Everything looks like it's in place."

"But… how?" asked Astrid as she too approached him, gazing at him from top to bottom. "That giant's throw should have killed you. You shouldn't even be-"

"I don't know," shrugged Snotlout, staring down at his opened palms. "I guess I was just lucky. Though I still wonder, what the Thor even happened to me? All I remember was seeing darkness, and then _zap, _I felt something… unnatural fill me, and before you know it, I'm using lightning magic."

"I think I know why," replied Arn, still settled atop Toothless. "When you were thrown to your death, something protected you and prevented you from dying. It seems that the magic that Odin granted your ancestor long ago has passed onto you, because you are worthy."

Snotlout curiously rose a brow as he asked, "Worthy of what?"

"Worthy of being a Wing of Midgard." answered Arn.


	37. Seal The Deal

A Wing of Midgard. That was what Snotlout now was, yet the lad found it hard to believe. If he was a Wing of Midgard all of this time, why did his powers awaken now, after almost certain death?

Snotlout narrowed his eyes down, gazing first at his hands and then back up at the others who were all dismounted and gathered around him.

"Why now?" asked Snotlout. "Why would my magic awaken right when I'm on the verge of death? It doesn't make any sense."

"Sure it does," replied Astrid with her arms crossed. "Maybe it was not yet your time, which I'd say to us, is something we can agree with."

Hiccup nodded his head in agreement. "If we had lost you there and then, this whole campaign would've become harder than it already is, and that giant probably would have gone into the nest and butcher every storm dragon it could find."

"But you prevented that."

"Uh, not to be a bummer, H, but couldn't those dragons easily take him down?" asked Tuffnut. "I mean, all they'd need to do is electrocute the Hel out of it and-"

"And then get killed?" responded Arn. "Tuffnut, that giant took on almost everything we had to throw at him. Our dragons only left burns on him, and the most they did was knock it down on its back. After that, the giant ignored their attacks completely and made their fire useless against him."

"So you think the same goes for the storm dragons?" asked Fishlegs.

Arn shrugged his shoulders. "Possibly. Perhaps most likely. Whatever the case, the only reason Snotlout buried that giant into the dirt was because of how powerful his spells were. He managed to weaken the Thor out of him so that he could climb up to his head and finish him."

"That to me is a Wing of Midgard." he smirked.

_"You should all be proud of what you have accomplished!"_

The conversation came to a halt as the familiar voice of a dragon caught their attention. As they all turned their heads to the side, they spotted Velthora flying towards them - weakened, but somewhat recovered.

The great alpha storm dragon landed before them with a light bow, and looked down at them with an expression that told them that she was impressed and proud of them.

"Glad to see you back on your feet, Velthora. Are you alright?" asked Astrid.

"I'm fine, young one," she replied softly. "But I must say, after watching what you all did, I can only say that I have barely any words. Never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined mortals wielding the very power of fire and storm itself against a giant - one of the strongest races in all the Nine Worlds.

"Uh... You saw the whole fight?" asked Ruffnut.

"Indeed I did," she answered to Ruffnut. "And by slaying our nest's predator, you have gained my full trust, as well as the trust of my flight."

"So… does that mean you'll help us against the orcs?" asked Fishlegs.

"I will," nodded the dragon. "But before I can make an announcement to the flight, you must answer one question that I have. Clearly you vikings know how to cast magic, and without that much of an effort…"

"So I must ask. Who _exactly _are you?"

It was then that everyone's eyes fell onto Hiccup. The young chieftain, realizing he would be the one doing the talking, gave a nod and stepped forward closer to the alpha storm dragon, to which he would begin to explain who they really were, aside from just being the normal young vikings that they often were.

"...We're the Wings of Midgard," began Hiccup. "The only reason why we can cast magic is because of our ancestors, who defeated the Dark Master a thousand years ago after he tried to take over our world... and now he's returning. We're going to finish what they started, and save Midgard from him."

Velthora's eyes widened as she looked down at the young vikings with a surprising and shocking look. For nearly a whole minute she said nothing, until she opened her mouth, and responded with, "...So it's true."

"Huh?" asked Hiccup.

"The prophecy of which many speak of is true," repeated Velthora. "If you really are who you say you are, then that means you are the ones who will bring the fight to the Dark Master, and battle him for the fate of Midgard.

"Pfft, obviously," laughed Tuffnut. "I mean, who else would? We're the best warriors in the world! We can-"

"Tuffnut… don't brag," interrupted Fishlegs as he casted a disapproving glance before turning back to Velthora. "Sorry about that… now- what did you say about a prophecy? About us being the ones to fight the Dark Master?"

"It's an ancient telling," began Velthora. "The prophecy tells of seven warriors that will lead the armies of Midgard against the burning darkness, as well as their master, and when the final battle begins, _He_ will come to their aid, and the Wings of Midgard will destroy the great enemy."

"He?" asked Hiccup. "Uh… who is He?"

Velthora gently shook her head. "Unfortunately that's all that is known," she replied. "The prophecy doesn't explain anything else except that, but I can say that I know now for certain you _are_ the Wings of Midgard. After all, there are seven of you."

"...Six, actually," spoke Arn, catching Velthora's attention. "Unfortunately, I am not a Wing of Midgard. I'm only part of their company as their guide across Valnr, and besides, I don't know any magic. I can't cast magic even if I wanted to."

"I see…" she sighed. "So then who is your seventh Wing?"

Hiccup lightly shrugged. "That, we have yet to find out," he answered. "I'm hoping however that over the course of our journey, we'll be able to discover clues leading to last Wing of Midgard. Until then, we can only guess where they-"

...There was a pause. Hiccup's words came to an immediate stop. From the west they heard the sudden roar of a dragon coming their way, and upon looking up, they saw a storm dragon flying towards them, though oddly enough, it looked quite smaller than most of the other storm dragons. Still, where was it coming from?

"Velthora, who's that dragon?" asked Astrid.

"That's one of our scouts," she replied. "We sent him out early this morning to survey the west… what is he doing back so early?"

The question rang through Velthora's head as the dragon scout landed before his alpha with a low bow, to which she then bowed her head in response.

_"Report," _she said, now speaking in Dragonese.

_"Queen Velthora," _began the scout, looking up at her. _"I've done as you asked and scouted out the east. At first, everything seemed quiet and normal. There was no new activity and all seemed as it usually was. But when I approached the camp where the orcs were based… I saw it burning!"_

_"...The votun, they- they were attacking the orcs! They fought with rage and fury - cutting through them like they were nothing, and after surveying an hour of fighting, they set fire to their camp. Hundreds of orcs lay dead, my queen. They've all been wiped out."_

Hiccup and Arn in that very moment were jaw-dropped. They stood there with looks of shock and hope resonating on their faces, for if what they just heard was true, then that meant that Ragnar had successfully wiped out the orcs in the west, liberating the rest of Votunheim.

_" ...How many votun were in that battle?" _asked Hiccup, speaking in Dragonese for the first time - much to Velthora and the storm dragon's surprise.

_"At least two hundred," _the scout replied. _"The orcs outnumbered them three to one, but they still stood no chance. Even while flying back, I could still see the fire burning as the smoke rose half a mile high… but, why do you ask?"_

Hiccup and Arn glanced at each other with gladdening looks, nodding, before turning their attention back towards the rest of the group, who were wondering what was going on.

"Hiccup, is everything okay? What did he say?" asked Astrid, questioning their conversation in Dragonese.

"It's more than okay Astrid," replied Hiccup. "Ragnar and the votun have managed to wipe out all of the orcs in the east of Votunheim, meaning that now we can focus on the orcs from the west that Bjornar is leading."

"You serious?" asked Snotlout. "And it took him only a day to do all of that? I mean- don't get me wrong, that's good and all, but still, _that _was unexpected."

"Ragnar's timing couldn't have been any better," said Arn. "And it's good that he was able to free the east. But still, we need to make preparations for the fight to come. Bjornar will soon march his army on the pass leading into Votunheim, and we need to be there when it happens. I say we should rally with Ragnar as soon as possible."

"Agreed. The sooner we get this done, the better," nodded Hiccup, to which Velthora bowed her head in agreement.

"I'll rally up my flight's best dragons and tell them to prepare for war," she stated. "The orcs will have nowhere to run once the real fight begins…"

...

* * *

"So that's your story?" asked Dagur. "Stoick sacrificed himself to save you and your tribe, and these orcs you mentioned really do have what it takes to kill us all?"

Valka gave a nod. "Aye. And it'll only be a matter of time until they move against the rest of Midgard."

"Eh… but not without moving against us first," stated Gobber.

It was hard to tell exactly how long they had been there.

For many hours they sat on Dragon Island as Valka told Dagur and Alvin everything. From how the orcs and their chaotic legions were the real threat to their survival, to how Stoick was killed at the hands of Drago, and then to how the Alliance of Midgard was formed to combat the Dark Legions.

And seemed that after a while of this long discussion, both Alvin and Dagur were finally convinced.

"Hmm… there's nothing I can say by this point to try and turn down this story of yours," replied Alvin, leaning against a boulder with his arms crossed. "You've told us everything we needed to know, and even your elf and dwarf friends show that what you're saying is true... and I believe you."

"Same with me," Dagur added. "Looks like there's no point in arguing over resources anymore, even while there are orcs out there that need a good axe to the face."

"...And I think I'll be the first Berserker to give 'em one! Hah!"

"Hold yer gob fer a moment, Berserker!" replied Morgrim, taking a few steps forward. "Before ya can even swing an axe tae tha face of an orc, ya must pledge yerselves tae our alliance!"

"Indeed," nodded Lornduil. "The Alliance of Midgard is the only force in this world that can stand against the enemy. If you think you can take on the orcs and the Dark Legions by yourself with just your tribes alone, you are truly mistaken, thus we are offering you a position to stand by us."

"So. What do you say? Will you join us?"

A moment of silence followed as Alvin and Dagur stood there in thought. They knew that if they joined the Alliance, they would have no choice but to be involved in a conflict bigger than anything they had seen before. Yet at the same time, they knew they could not take on the Dark Legions alone.

But alas, what choice did they have for themselves?

The two chieftains glanced at each other, nodding in approval before turning their attention back towards Valka who stood patiently, waiting for an answer.

"...We accept," replied Dagur. "But if you really want us to swear our allegiance the proper way, then fine. By the power of Odin, we-"

"Save it, Dagur," interrupted Valka, smirking. "If you say you accept, then you accept. What matters is that you're now with us."

"Aye. The more help, the better," added on Eret. "But we can't stay here for too long and keep up with this talk. We still have much work to do."

"So then what's the plan?" asked Alvin. "What exactly do you propose we do, Valka?"

"Well before we can even set out, both you and Dagur will need to rally up as many vikings as you can," stated Valka, making her way closer to the two chieftains. "How many soldiers can you each muster?"

"I reckon I can gather three thousand men from the Outcasts," answered Alvin. "And I can assure you that my warriors won't go down so easily without a fight."

"That'll be good enough," replied Valka. "And what about you, Dagur?"

"What about me? Hahahaha! The Berserkers are the largest tribe in the Archipelago. I can rally up six thousand men, but that's all we can get. I'll make sure to get them prepared as soon as possible."

"Very well," Valka nodded. "Then it's settled. Make sure your forces are ready in three days as the fleet begins to sail north, and until then, get everyone prepared… Gobber, I'm leaving you in command of Berk's warriors. Do you think you're capable of leading them until you meet up with Hiccup?"

"Eh… I'm not exactly the commander type," sighed Gobber. "But I'll do my best."

"Good," said Valka. "Remember everyone; three days. After that, we set sail north..."


	38. Rallying Up!

**After a while of waiting, I've finally managed to find the time out of my busy college life to write and finish this chapter, and now, it's finally here!**

**However, something that I want to point out is that until my college semester ends, I unfortunately won't be posting chapters on a few day to weekly basis, which is at the speed that I would usually finish and upload chapters.**

**But regardless, I hope this chapter can hype you up for what I have planned next!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The young vikings wasted no time after their conversation with the alpha of the storm dragons, and with the giant slain, they left the nest as allies to the mighty storm flight.

But now, it was time for them to rally with the votun.

Hiccup and the group had flown down south, settling themselves a couple of miles away from the Dragonskarn capital near the main road, and there, they waited for Ragnar's return.

In the meantime, they had other plans in mind.

While Toothless and the other dragons laid themselves down in the grass for a rest, the riders had their undivided attention on Snotlout, who explained the method of using storm magic.

"And that's how I did it," said Snotlout as he sharply snapped his fingers, causing a spark of purple electricity to crackle across his right hand. "All I have to do is think that I've already casted it, and bam, it shoots out like nothing."

"Interesting," said Hiccup with his arms crossed. "So from what you've told us so far, you're saying that using lightning magic requires us to think more?"

Snotlout gave a nod. "Yup. I guess it's also why I was able to climb up the giant without getting squashed by him. I had to think fast, and be smart about it."

"Uh… that doesn't sound like you, Snotlout," replied Ruffnut with a disgusted expression.

"Yeah," Tuffnut added on in agreement. "The Snotlout _we_ usually know always goes in and shouts, _oi oi oi!_ He doesn't think! How do we know you're not a fake?"

"Guys, I'm not a fake," sighed Snotlout as he spun around with his arms out, showing himself off. "I'm still here, still Snotlout, and I'm the same as usual. I've just gotten smarter... okay? Geez…"

"Whatever," replied Tuffnut. "I think I'm gonna go rest my head. I need to take a nap."

"Same," nodded Ruffnut, as she gave out an over-exaggerating yawn.

Both of the Twins then turned their backs to the group and began walking towards their sleeping dragon, who was laying in the grass, calmly snoring.

Astrid arched a brow. "What the Thor was that about?"

"It's the Twins, what do you expect?" replied Arn, who sat on a nearby boulder while inspecting his blade. "From what I've seen of them so far, they just keep getting weirder and weirder. Though who knows, maybe they're right."

"What!?" bursted out Snotlout, to which Arn let out a chuckle.

"Kidding," he said. "But clearly you show that you're still you."

"Alright, I think we get it, Arn," replied Fishlegs. "But I really think we should get back on topic."

"There's nothing really left to talk about regarding the magic," Snotlout added, shaking his head. "But... If you guys really wanna give it a try, be my guest."

"...Anyone?"

"Might as well," Hiccup replied eagerly as he stepped forward closer to Snotlout, raising his hand up with his palm opened, ready to give the lightning magic a go.

"So, what do I do again?"

"Think about what you want to cast before you try and cast it," replied Snotlout. "And make sure you use your imagination as clearly as possible. If you let anything else get in the way in that mind of yours, it won't work…"

"...Now give it a shot."

Hiccup nodded as he gazingly turned his attention towards his hand. For a moment it appeared as if he was day-dreaming, but he was merely clearing his mind of all thoughts. Then the next moment, he imagined to himself what would happen if he snapped his fingers; he pictured that a spark of electricity would bolt across his hand like a lightning bolt, and flash for not even a second before fading in an instant. Could it work? If he thought of anything else, nothing would happen.

Without another thought, Hiccup snapped his fingers, and...

_ZAP_

What he imagined became real and manifest, and right in front of him and the others, a small bolt of lightning magic sparked across his hand in a bright flash, making everyone gaze in amusement.

"First try? Wow," smirked Astrid as she crossed her arms. "At this rate, we may even be able to learn ice magic, if of course it's possible."

"It is possible," answered Arn. "The mages of my tribe use it all the time, but that depends on if they learned it or not. Most mages in my tribe use only one school of magic. But since you're the Wings of Midgard, you guys will probably be able to use all three."

Fishlegs smirked, thinking up ideas like he usually would being the intelligent viking he was. "Now that's something I'm looking forward to," he said. "If I ever get my hands on a blank book, I think I'm going to take notes on spells and how to cast them. Just for reference."

"A spellbook? That's a great idea, Fishlegs," said Hiccup in agreement. "And if you have any room, maybe you could include some information on some of the dragons we've discovered here."

"Might as well," he nodded. "We're not going to be here forever anyways. We should spend what time we have while we-"

...Fishlegs words came to a complete stop. So did everyone else, as they heard the distant sound of a horn booming through the air. Their heads spun, looking around for where it came from, and it was then that they began to hear what sounded like marching from afar, and that's when they all turned their heads to face east.

Hiccup quickly glanced back at the others. "Astrid, come with me. Everyone else, stay here."

The shieldmaiden gave a nod as she proceeded to follow Hiccup onto the main road that laid nearby, standing right in the center of it, and up ahead, they saw them come into sight, marching in a long line.

It was the votun, coming back from their fight against the orcs. The half-giants appeared exhausted from battle, but also seemed to have quite high morale as a result of their victory. Their heads stood high and their backs were more or so straight as they marched in silence, and at the very front of their ranks, Hiccup could make out three familiar figures.

Torstein, who was clad in scalemail armor. Helgan, who carried her bow tightly in-hand. And Ragnar, who marched between the two votun.

Astrid crossed her arms, nodding in approval. "Well then... I think we've waited long enough."

…

* * *

Dragonskarn capital... It was a big town unlike any that Hiccup seen before, filled with hundreds and hundreds of large huts and homes, as well as running with small canals and rivers, with trade and work, and of course, with people. Lots of people.

But he knew for certain it was nothing like Berk, and this just made him wonder what the cities of the elves and dwarves would be like.

In the center of the capital, a large great hall stood, overlooking the entire city from atop a hill. And it was there that Hiccup and the group feasted with Ragnar.

From within the hall, dozens of veteran votun warriors sat by long tables, feasting from their plates on meat, fish, and other types of food, and at the same time drinking mead from their mugs like no tomorrow. But aside from that, there was also music, laughter, cheer, and of course, a lot of loud talking and singing.

At the high table, Hiccup and the group sat with human-sized mugs in hand, drinking and feeding their fill while their dragons ate from a nearby large bucket of salmon.

Across from the young vikings also sat Ragnar, Torstein, and Helgan, who were in discussion with them about the events that had recently happened.

"So how did you come by recruiting Torstein and Helgan?" asked Hiccup. "I honestly didn't think Torstein would be much of a fighter, considering he's…"

"Old?" the votun asked. "Hah! I used to be a warrior in my younger days, lad. I can still carry an axe and a sword."

"As for how he came to meet us," Helgan added on. "We were scouring out Lakestead for any of Bjornar's loyalist spies, and after a while of searching, Ragnar came marching into the town. He asked what we were doing, so we told him, and he decided to join us in the hunt. After we found all the loyalists, he immediately ordered us to execute them. So we did, and now the town is free from Bjornar's influence."

"So who's in charge of Lakestead now?" asked Arn. "It still needs someone running it, doesn't it?"

Ragnar gave a nod to the Alsworn heir. "Torstein will be overlooking the town now, but not as a commander. Instead, I've decided to make him the town's jarl. A proper title for a leader."

"And it's an honor I'm willing to carry out," replied Torstein with a proud look.

"Well that's good," nodded Astrid. "Now the town has someone properly fit for the position."

"Yeah yeah yeah, we get it, but what about the orcs to the west?" asked Ruffnut. "They're gonna burn this place to the ground if we don't fight 'em soon."

"Is it really necessary to bring it up now, Ruff?" sighed Fishlegs. "Can't we save the planning for tomorrow-"

"No, she's right," immediately replied Ragnar. "The sooner we deal with Bjornar and his legion of orcs, the better… But I need to ask, did you manage to get Velthora and the storm dragons on our side?"

"We sure did," nodded Hiccup. "Velthora assured us that she'll be sending her best dragons to help us in the next battle. Only problem is, we don't know when it'll be."

"Hm, that is the real question, isn't it?" asked Helgan, crossing her arms. "And guessing won't be an option for us. The orcs could march at anytime, and we won't know it. Only way we can figure out when they'll strike is to send in spies."

"Isn't that too risky though?" asked Astrid. "The Legions could have spies everywhere without us knowing about it, and they could easily take down our own before we can even get any information out of them."

"We don't need to send out scouts anywhere. We've got eyes on the pass," replied Ragnar. "We built a watchtower on Votunheim's side quite a while ago. If any activity happens, we will know, and that's that. Plus, I'd rather not get into this topic any further. What's done is done..."

"...For now, let's feast and drink. Today we've earned a victory, and tomorrow, the enemy will be dealt a great blow that they will never forget."

"Uh… where are we gonna sleep though?" asked Tuffnut. "I mean, if you've got no rooms for us, then I call the stables."

Ragnar shook his head. "That won't be necessary," he replied. "I have guest rooms that you can all sleep in for the night. Though they're meant for emissaries from the other races, I'll make an exception. I'll even allow your dragons to stay in them with you."

"We're grateful, Ragnar," smiled Hiccup. "But I want to ask, is it alright if I share a room with Astrid?"

The votun chieftain glanced between the two vikings, slightly surprised. "So... you two really are lovers. I guess that explains why you were both holding hands the night before, after you came back from Lakestead."

Astrid gave a nod. "Yup, and we're soon to get- well, married-"

"WHOA WHOA WHOA," interrupted Tuffnut. "Did you really say the m-word? It's too early to say such a thing!"

The shieldmaiden let out a sigh as she merely rolled her eyes at the overdramatic lad. Turning back to the chieftain, she asked, "So- is there any problem in the both of us sharing a room?"

"Not at all," said Ragnar, shaking his head. "You two are welcome to share a room. But for now, let's all spend this time we have while we still can. You and your dragons _especially_ deserve it."

…

* * *

Dark clouds loomed overhead with the crackling of green lightning and booming of light thunder filling the air. From atop a cliff, Bjornar stood, overlooking the legion of orcs and other dark minions that camped down below, just outside the pass.

The felled votun felt nothing but a temptation of blood and war. For years he had waited for the moment that he would invade Votunheim, before gutting the chieftain of the Dragonskarn and taking his tribe, his people, and the land for himself.

And that moment was soon to come.

As he continued gazing down at the amassed forces, the sound of fire bursting up behind him caught his attention. Slowly turning around, he met face to face with Drago, whose green eyes immediately locked onto his, beaming like torches.

Bjornar gave a bow to the darkened warlord, and the warlord in response nodded his head.

"My lord," began Bjornar. "What brings you here? Your timing seems urgent."

"We have news, lieutenant," replied Drago as he slowly approached Bjornar. "It seems the entire orcish operation in the east of Votunheim was annihilated. The Dragonskarn have destroyed your only opportunity for creating a second front, and they even managed to get the storm dragons on their side."

"The storm dragons...? The same dragons led by that coward Velthora?"

"The same," replied Drago.

In that moment, something struck Bjornar. His left eye all of a sudden began to twitch, and his right hand tightened into a fist. In his head, he thought to himself, _'This can't be… how is this possible?'_

"H- How?" he asked. "How do you even know this?"

"My visions showed me everything," answered Drago, turning his back to Bjornar as he began to pace back and forth. "And because of this twist of events, a slight change to my plans was needed. If you wait any longer, then you'll miss the opportunity to attack. And so, I've made my decision…"

"Tomorrow, you will begin the march on Votunheim. Tomorrow, the invasion will begin."

It was then that a wicked grin suddenly appeared on Bjornar's face, and in an instant, his hate and anger was replaced with satisfaction as he bellowed out in a booming laughter. "Finally! My time for battle has come! I will soon show Ragnar who the true leader of the Dragonskarn is when I chop off his head and put it on pike! After him, the Wings of Midgard will be next and-"

"Do not underestimate the Wings of Midgard, Bjornar," interrupted Drago as he stopped in his pacing. "They may be young and small, and you may be strong, but their powers have recently gotten stronger as well. I've sensed this…"

"However, that is all I have come to tell you," he added. "In the meantime, I have other things that I must do. The Dark Master has ordered me to prepare a bigger legion for an attack on the elves of Nordell. In two weeks they will reach the capital, and when they do, the elves and their king will burn in chaos fire. My orcs will leave nothing of their towering spires and their pathetic homes. Their city will know only destruction..."

"And soon, so will the whole world..."

Bjornar tried opening his mouth to speak, but before he could, Drago immediately snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the warlord teleported himself away in a burst of green fire, leaving his lieutenant alone once more atop the cliff.

Despite the abrupt departure, the half-giant did not question it and disregarded it, turning to face back towards his horde of orcs and other felled followers, and as he gazed down, his mind began racing with dark ideas of what he would do to Ragnar when finally meeting him face to face.

And throughout all of this, he could not stop grinning.

...But little did he know was that he was being watched. From above, atop a nearby cliff, stood two storm dragons who stared down at the votun with all they needed to know.

For they overheard_ everything_ that both him and Drago had said...


	39. Unleashing The Fury

**It has honestly been too long since I uploaded another chapter. Because of college and life, I found it difficult in making this chapter. But with my one month of break coming up, I'll be able to finally upload regularly again.**

**And so, to make up for all the time lost, I made this chapter extra long, and as well as what is possibly the longest chapter I've ever written.**

**But regardless, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Sleep had eventually overcome Hiccup. After an amazing night of feasting with his friends and the dragons, he could finally get his well-deserved rest.

Yet as Hiccup fell into his deep sleep, something grabbed ahold of his consciousness, and before he knew it, he found himself surrounded by meadows of grass within a field he did not recognize. He could easily tell it was night, as his surroundings were lit up by the blue starry sky that shone down onto him from above. Yet despite the beautiful view, he still was confused as to where he was.

"None of this makes sense…" said Hiccup, looking around nervously. "Where am I? And why does this all feel so real?"

Questions began driving through Hiccup's mind, and while in the midst of wondering where he was, a distant blue ball of light caught his attention, shining brightly as it slowly began flying towards him in an almost gentle manner.

However, upon further inspection, Hiccup realized that the glowing light was no mere light at all, but a strange energy that coursed with a magical aura that was neither fire or storm; and nor was it ice. After all, he had seen icy runes on the runestone in the plaza back on Berk, and he knew ice magic was far more lighter than this.

"What are you?" he asked himself.

Eventually, the orb of energy hovered directly in front of Hiccup, and as the lad reached his hand out to see how it would react, a burst of light suddenly blinded him.

Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut as his vision became enveloped by the glow of the blue radiating magic. After a few seconds passed, the light slowly began to fade, and as Hiccup opened his eyes to see what was laying before him, his mouth sprung open with a gasp as a ghostly figure stepped forward.

He could not believe it...

"Son," spoke the spirit of Stoick with a smile. "It is good to see you again."

There before Hiccup stood the ghost of his father, glowing as blue as the stars above.

"Dad?" replied Hiccup in wonder. "H- How is this even possible-? ...Am I dreaming?"

"You must be confused," chuckled Stoick as his ghostly figure stepped forward to give the lad a pat on the shoulder. "Well, there's no need to worry. You're still in your bed sleeping, but know that this isn't a dream you're in. Where you are is a tranquil place that I created with my mind after I took your consciousness and brought it here. It took some effort, but it eventually worked."

"In other words, everything you see here is real."

Hiccup let out a sigh, almost as if it were with relief. "Oh dad… you don't know how much I've missed you. Things have been tough without you and your leadership."

"I've missed you as well, son, and I understand the struggle," replied Stoick as he wrapped his ghostly right hand around the back of the lad's neck. "Everyday I wander the Halls of Valhalla thinking about both you and your mother, and how when the time comes, I'll be able to see you two again. But I assure you, things will get better."

"So… you really did make it to Valhalla," said Hiccup. "But then... how is it possible that you are able to speak with me? If you created this place with your mind, then how-"

"I am asleep just as you are… but, in a different way," Stoick assured him. "The only reason I am able to talk to you is because of Odin. The Allfather himself has granted me the ability to separate my spirit from my body, which was reformed after Drago murdered me. He and I along with many other deceased chieftains and viking kings have been watching your campaign against the Dark Legions."

"...But unfortunately, you don't have much time. The enemy is ready to close in on you as we speak."

"What?" gasped Hiccup. "What do you mean?"

Stoick's spirit turned away from his son, and began pacing back and forth. "Under Drago's order, the legion of orcs led by Bjornar are readying their march on Votunheim at this very moment. They're wasting no time in preparing their invasion, and at the same time, Drago himself is preparing an even greater force to march on the elves of Nordell. If you want to stand a chance, you must act soon."

"How?" responded Hiccup, now sounding troubled. "How can you expect the others and I to defend both Votunheim and Nordell at the same time? We won't be able to handle it!"

"You can and you will… and it won't be at the same time," replied Stoick, his tone showing the belief he had in his son. "Drago's forces will be at Nordell in two weeks. Until then, you have plenty of time. But you must act against Bjornar now. I've seen how you and your friends have fought in battle, and I am beyond impressed. You can handle it, Hiccup. I believe in you. And the time is now."

"Now?" asked Hiccup. "But- are you sure we can-"

"Time is of the essence, my son," interrupted Stoick as he turned back to Hiccup, now placing both of his hands on his shoulders. "There is nothing else that I can say to you as my time here is up. I understand you have many other questions to ask me, but I promise you, we will see each other again."

"Now go, and unleash the fury upon the enemy… wake up!"

With his final words, the same blinding blue light enveloped everything around Hiccup as the spirit of Stoick lifted, and at the same time, the young viking felt the burden of sleep beginning to lift from his shoulders…

…

* * *

Hiccup gasped as he awoke to the blow of a horn sounding from outside the Dragonskarn great hall. The first thing that met his eyes was the light of the sunny morning shining through the nearby window, and then it was the room that surrounded him as his vision took shape.

He let out a sigh, slowly taking in what he just witnessed from the vision he had, and as he slowly gazed to his left, he noticed that the spot on the bed where Astrid slept was empty.

That could only mean she was already awake.

His eyes then swiftly gazed over at the corner of the room where both Toothless and Stormfly slept, and he saw that they too were not there as well, thus he could only assume that everyone aside from himself was already up.

"Dammit, I think I've overslept!" exclaimed Hiccup, quickly standing to his feet as he proceeded to run to the nearby table where he left all of his gear, aside from the wool tunic and pants that he still wore. Then he began to hastily put on his equipment.

The lad went as fast as he could, going from his chest gear, to his gloves, to his shoulder pads, and finally, to his boots before finishing off with strapping his sheathed blade around his waist.

At first he also considered wearing his cloak, but decided against it.

With that done, the lad bolted his way out the door, and began making his way towards the feasting hall.

There, he found his friends along with their dragons waiting near the high table, right next to the chieftain's throne. There were also dozens of other votun warriors that filled the hall, waiting on Ragnar who had yet to be seen.

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief, knowing he had awoken just in time.

As the young chieftain made his way forward to the group, Toothless's eyes were quick to catch note of him walking towards them, especially from hearing the sound of his footsteps, and immediately be jogged over to him, giving a friendly nudge of his head against his right arm as he said in Dragonese, _"Good morning!"_

"Good morning to you too, bud," chuckled Hiccup, to which his voice finally grabbed the attention of the others.

Astrid turned her eyes from her axe, and looked back at Hiccup with a warm grin. "There you are!" she said, putting her weapon aside as she made her way over to greet her lover with a quick morning kiss.

"I'm glad you're finally awake," she smiled. "When I got up this morning I thought you were in a deep sleep or something, because I couldn't wake you up. Still, at least you got up just in time. Did you sleep well? You seem a bit tired."

"Yeah- yeah," nodded Hiccup. "Just had a bit of a... crazy dream."

"Well, while you slept, we received some important news," added Arn. "One of Velthora's storm dragons flew by this morning and informed me in Dragonese that the orcs are preparing to march - and it won't be long until they get here, unless we intercept them of course."

"I already know about this," responded Hiccup. "So it's not exactly news to me."

"Uh… that doesn't really make any sense," replied Snotlout. "How could you have known that if you were asleep?"

"You can say thanks to my dad," answered Hiccup, almost hintingly while also being quick with his words.

"Stoick?" asked Astrid. "W- What does he have to do with any of-?"

Just as Astrid was about to finish asking her question however, a voice suddenly boomed throughout the great hall as a speaker came up near the throne and announced loudly to everyone, "the chieftain!"

Immediately the hall turned to low whispers as Ragnar came stomping out from his chambers nearby and went marching up to his throne, armored in scale mail and plate whilst wearing his brown furred cloak and carrying his great axe by his side. Clearly, he was ready for battle.

The chieftain sat down on his throne with a sigh, and what little whispers there were turned to dead silence as Ragnar slammed the bottom of his axe against the floor, hushing all other voices.

The large votun gazed across the crowd of the dozens of warriors that were gathered. His eyes glanced at each of them before they eventually fell upon Hiccup and his friends, who stood near the high table to his left, ready to hear what the chieftain of the Dragonskarn had to say.

"Warriors of the Dragonskarn," began Ragnar. "Today is a day that I never thought would come. For the first time ever, the Dark Legions are sending an army into Votunheim to invade us. They seek to destroy us once and for all, and to make our beautiful valley home into another of their vile territories. From what we know, they march with a force of thousands. At least five thousand."

For a moment, the hall once again filled with dozens of low voices and whispers from the votun, speaking out in question to one another, to which Ragnar raised his hand - silencing the hall once more.

"However," continued Ragnar. "Just because they have greater numbers, does not mean we cannot win. And so I say, so what if they're such a problem?"

"So what if they bring not just orcs, but as well as the dark monsters they command? So what if they flood through the pass like a tide? So what if they have magic? That means nothing to us!"

Ragnar's eyes then turned away from the crowd, and focused on Hiccup and the group as he motioned with his hand towards them.

"Our Alsworn ally here has told me much about these six young vikings. These legendary warriors from across the sea, aided by dragons, were responsible for taking down the giant that tormented the storm dragons, with powerful magic! They saved my life and the lives of our warriors when we were cornered by orcs, despite the odds! They exposed the traitor Bjornar, who under my nose nearly starved Lakestead! They've done more than one could ask for!"

"They are the Wings of Midgard!"

Almost immediately, the hall filled up again with chatter, this time louder than before. The votun warriors all spoke with surprise and question at their chieftain announcing who Hiccup and his group really were, and not just mere allies.

Ragnar stood to his feet, turning his glance from Hiccup and back to his warriors. "And they," he continued, silencing the hall. "Are why we will win, and why THEY will lose! You may fight for Odin! You may fight for the gods, for your family, for your people, or for yourselves, but I do not care! As long as YOU FIGHT!"

Like sudden thunder, the votun all roared and cheered as they rose their axes, swords, and spears into the air. Their voices bellowed beyond the walls of the great hall, so loudly that anyone walking by could hear their muffled cheers. Their confidence was higher than ever.

Ragnar, seeing his warriors inspired, smirked with approval as he stepped away from his throne and made way to Hiccup and the others, giving off a nod to them.

"Short speech. But it's still inspiring," said Hiccup.

"The enemy won't expect what we have to throw at them when they meet us in battle," Ragnar assured them. "We'll be bringing two hundred warriors to this fight. Though we're outnumbered twenty five to one, they will stand no chance."

"Stand no chance while we're outnumbered? Are you serious?" questioned Snotlout.

"Uh, helllooo? They're just going to run over us like a bunch of Rumblehorns!" exclaimed Ruffnut.

"No they won't," said Hiccup, tossing a glance at both Ruffnut and Snotlout. "We still have dragons on our side. And not even Bjornar will stand a chance when we start giving him the fight of his life."

"I like the enthusiasm, Hiccup Haddock," chuckled Ragnar. "But if there's nothing else to say, I suggest we get moving. We need to get to the pass as soon as possible before the orcs and their allies flood it."

"Agreed," nodded Hiccup. "And then after today, I will be happy to welcome you to the Alliance of Midgard."

…

* * *

The tall rocky cliffs of the pass surrounded them on two sides, looming over them as dark grey clouds began to roll in overhead. After a long march from the Dragonskarn capital with over two hundred warriors and a dozen storm dragons, Hiccup and his allies had made it to the pass of Votunheim fully prepared.

The votun warriors set up their lines, each with a hundred across. Behind them, grounded storm dragons with hunters carrying how's riding on top of them waited, ready to fly up at a moment's notice and unleash lightning and arrows on the orcs.

At the very front, Hiccup and the rest of the group, along with Ragnar, Torstein, and Helgan stood waiting, all geared up and ready to fight for the battle that was to come.

Yet as time progressed, Hiccup became curious as to where the legion of orcs were. _'Surely they would have been here by now,'_ he thought to himself.

The lad looked back at his dragon with a clear look of question, one which Toothless could not ignore.

_"Is everything all right, Hiccup?" _the Night Fury asked in Dragonese.

"Not exactly, bud," replied Hiccup. "The orcs haven't shown themselves, and nor has Bjornar. Shouldn't we be fighting them by now?"

"Maybe they're planning something?" asked Astrid. "I doubt they'd just charge straight in and take us head on."

"No. Bjornar isn't a strategic thinker," stated Ragnar. "I've observed one of his hunts in the past, and from what I remember, he planned it out poorly and failed to catch a _single_ boar. I let him off the hook at the time, but after what he's done to my people, he only shows that his mindset is no different. He never expected that I would find out about his bargain with Drago…"

"Just because his mindset isn't different doesn't mean that the way he strategizes hasn't changed," replied Arn, arms crossed as he looked out at the pass's horizon. "At least- that's what I believe. Either way, I think we should send someone to fly up to get a better view. This silence is too suspicious."

"Not me," immediately replied the Twins in unison, with Tuffnut adding on with, "I don't wanna get killed. Plus, Barf and Belch are probably too scared to fly."

The two-headed dragon merely glared at their riders' cowardice. They knew for certain that it was not true.

"You two are so unpredictable," sighed Astrid. "If both of you muttonheads aren't are going to help, then I'll do it."

"Are you sure?" asked Hiccup as his eyes glanced to his left, gazing back at Astrid's. "The orcs could come at anytime and try to shoot you down."

"Don't worry about me," replied Astrid. "Plus, Stormfly and I will be out of range before they can shoot us down. We'll be all right, right girl?"

The Nadder responded with a series of squawks back in agreement. _"Their arrows won't be able to reach us. We'll be fine," _she assured Hiccup, speaking in Dragonese.

"Looks like Stormfly is in agreement," said Hiccup. "Alright then, go on ahead. But if you see anything, don't hesitate to call down."

With a nod, Astrid hastily mounted atop her dragon, getting comfortable in her saddle before proceeding to take off in a very swift manner.

Climbing upwards, the young shieldmaiden had a better view of the pass from beyond where her allies stood, but as she flew higher, a lone silhouette caught her eyes as it appeared through a cloudy mist from up ahead, past the fog of war.

She squinted her eyes, but could not make out the physical features of the figure, for its body was shadowed, and it merely stood there, not making a single move. However, what she did notice was how large its form was, for no human had such physique…

Suddenly the realization hit her, and immediately her gaze fell down to Hiccup.

"Hiccup-!"

Her voice only managed to get one word out, and before anyone could even reply, the sound of a low, bellowing horn boomed through the air around them, and that's when Hiccup too noticed the figure up ahead, for it had stepped out of the mist completely and revealed itself.

It was an armored orc.

The brute's expression was filled with that of bloodlust as he glared down at the assembled votun lines and their allies, all while carrying a great axe he held in his hands which looked ready for cleaving.

And that was what he intended to do.

The orc let out a growl, breathing intensely to pump his blood into an adrenalined state. His green eyes beamed wickedly before at last he roared out;

"RUN THEM DOWN, WARRIORS OF THE DARK LEGIONS! FOR DRAGO! FOR THE DARK MASTER!"

With a forward wave of his axe, the command was issued, and dozens of figured warriors began running through the fading mist, filling the air with battle-cries and bloodcurdling shouts and screams. However, what Hiccup did not expect as he watched the enemy charge was _what_ came through that mist…

Orcs were not the only foe he saw. With them were the short, green-eyed, grey-skinned and crazed goblins, wearing only black leather hides and carrying nothing but spears and wooden shields as they screeched their way down the pass, and so swiftly.

And then, there was something else. Something that for a moment sent a slight shiver down Hiccup's spine as he gazed sight upon them. He remembered seeing them the day that Drago murdered his father on the Isle of Tomorrow, and he never thought he would see them again.

They were the dark vikings.

They were men that had lost their identities, cursed only to carry black blades into battle in their lord's name. The evil lore granted to them by the Dark Master twisted and corrupted their very bodies and souls, turning their skin as pale as rock and their eyes as green as their poisoned souls.

However, what made their appearances terrifying to those who feared them, was their armor, for they wore nothing but dimented black plating from head to toe, and the only part anyone could see of them were their piercing evil eyes.

But Hiccup did not fear them. They would fall as easily as every orc he fought so far had.

His eyes gazed back up at Astrid who was still hovering above them, motioning with his hand for her to fly down and regroup. Immediately, the shieldmaiden maneuvered Stormfly to dive down to them as fast as she could, and just within seconds before they hit the ground, she jumped off the Deadly Nadder in a rush, making a roll upon landing right next to Hiccup.

The lass stood to her feet and swiftly unsheathed her axe, getting into a combat-readied stance along with her friends who stood beside her with their weapons in hand.

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, the Twins, and Arn would be the first line of defense along with Ragnar, Torstein, and Helgan, while Toothless and the rest of the dragons positioned behind them as support.

If the orcs and their allies wanted to get into Votunheim, they would have to go through _them_ first.

Hiccup looked to both sides at his friends, and said loudly to them in command, "Let's light 'em up!"

Immediately, Hiccup and the riders flicked their right hands out, lighting up their palms with fiery magic. Their eyes seemed to burn as they glared at the oncoming orcs, goblins, and dark vikings. No matter how many there were, they wouldall fall as easily.

"HOLD!" shouted Hiccup, watching as the tide of enemies came closer and closer. Their charge was relentless, and they all thirsted for carnage and battle.

And if it was carnage they wanted, Hiccup would give it to them.

He quickly glanced back at the other riders as soon as the enemy came into range, and shouted, "NOW!"

In unison, the six vikings extended their arms, hurling forth fiery magic towards the enemy, hitting three goblins, two orcs, and a dark viking directly.

Though they were the first casualties, their volleys of magic did not stop there.

The six kept casting bolts of fire at the orcs, goblins, and dark vikings - sniping them out as best as they could, though their aim was not guaranteed. But despite the constant barrage of spells they were launching at their ranks, the charge did not stop. Eventually, the orcs and their felled allies were but a few yards away from them, ready to clash with the young vikings and the votun that stood beside them.

However, it would be Hiccup who would make the first move with his blade.

The young viking leaped at an orc rushing towards him, who was intended on making the first blow, but instead ended up having his head lopped off as the sharp blade of Hiccup's weapon cut through his neck like butter.

Seeing as Hiccup began to sally out, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, the Twins, and Arn joined in the fight. They each rushed forward with him, engaging the orcs and goblins that continued swarming towards them like giant mobs of wolves, all while also encountering the occasional dark vikings that were among their ranks.

However, Ragnar would not allow for them to go in alone, seeing as they would eventually become overrun.

The Dragonskarn chieftain turned back to face the ranks of votun. "We won't let them go in alone! FIRST RANK, ADVANCE! LET'S TAKE THEM ON!"

At Ragnar's command, the first line of votun quickly dispersed and began their charge, with the chieftain himself, as well as Torstein and Helgan, accompanying them, and at the same time, Toothless and the other dragons joined in as well.

Their timing however could not have been any better. Despite killing nearly two dozen of the enemy in melee, the number of orcs, goblins, and dark vikings began to intensify for Hiccup and the group, and soon more began to show up.

But as soon as Ragnar and the votun dived into the fray, the enemy began to have the worst of it.

The Dragonskarn clashed into the foe with a mighty impact. Their half-giant statures made the enemy look like child's play as their axes, spears, and swords cut through them one by one with brutal expertise, yet this was just the beginning of the onslaught.

Ragnar waved his great axe around like a berserker and struck violently at the enemy's numbers, slicing them down piece by piece with his superior strength and size, all while Helgan shot arrow after arrow from her bow and quiver as she fought alongside Torstein, who was constantly stabbing and throwing his spear at any unfortunate foe that would come across him.

And yet more damage was still being delivered by Toothless and the dragons as they went on a rampage across the battlefield. Orcs and goblins were picked up and tossed around by them as if they were ragdolls, and their searing flames made the situation no better for them.

By then, the battle had officially begun.

As the fight spurred on, raging fires began to spread across the pass from the intensity of dragonfire, as well as the Wings of Midgard's spells. Yet as the votun continued trampling through the enemy's ranks, their numbers still kept on increasing as more and more kept coming into the fray.

Hiccup however still fought hard, as hard as fellow vikings did, taking down orc after orc and goblin after goblin with little trouble. Yet all of that changed the moment he stood face to face with a dark viking, and upon engaging, the felled warrior struck wildly and swiftly with his black iron sword while Hiccup responded by blocking, dodging, and parrying with his weapon as best as he could. But despite being a great sword fighter, his agility did not match that of the corrupted warrior.

Eventually, both of their blades collided into a weapon lock, and the dark viking, standing a foot taller than Hiccup, looked down at the lad with a sinister look beaming in his green glowing eyes.

"So, you are the one He spoke of," spoke the viking. "Thy strength and skill is impressive, but it shalt not do thee any good, Wing of Midgard! Not even your companions could best the dark vikings…"

"Are you seriously this arrogant!?" asked Hiccup aggressively, still pushing against the viking's blade. "Don't you remember who beat your master a thousand years ago?"

"Of course. It was your dead ancestors who foolishly imprisoned Him, and every day that passes, his bonds weaken," chuckled the warrior. "But your powers are nothing compared to what they wielded. They never will be! I know well who you are, Haddock, and you are nothing."

"Am I now?" responded Hiccup as he immediately broke the weapon lock that held their blades against one another with a swift but hard spin of his sword. With haste, he then quickly dashed back to safer ground, and in his right hand, fiery magic began to manifest itself as his anger suddenly began to rise.

Hiccup then extended his arm out with a forcing push, and from his hand, flames poured out like a volcano, heading directly towards the dark viking.

Yet what came next was unexpected for the lad.

The black warrior immediately dropped all but one of his arms to the side as he straightened out his posture, and just as the magical flames were about to reach him, his left hand and arm suddenly extended outwards, pointing towards Hiccup, and from his open palm, chaos fire came shooting out like a flamethrower, locking with the young viking's spell with a power impact.

Hiccup felt the dark viking's spell hit his own, creating an interlocked beam of two magics between both of their conjurations. But the black warrior's spell was powerful. Soon, he felt the beam of both energies beginning to press down on him, as the pressure was just too great for him.

The dark viking beneath his helmet smiled as he watched the green chaotic fire bursting from his hand slowly closing in on Hiccup, knowing well the lad was no match for it.

"Dost thou see now, Haddock?" chuckled the wicked warrior. "Your pitiful magics are nothing to the Dark Master's power. This is what He has granted me in my eternal servitude of life and death to Him! Even now, your powers cannot hold!"

And he was right. The longer Hiccup tried to hold out, the more the dark viking's power grew. Ever closer was the stream of chaos magic closing in on him, and the lad felt as if he was not going to make it.

Were it not for a certain dragon.

Through the sounds of battle and fire all around him, Hiccup spotted from the corner of his eye Toothless running towards him to his side - mouth lit, and aiming towards the dark viking. Upon seeing this, the warrior attempted to react by casting a spell at the Night Fury, yet Toothless was anything but slow compared to him, and with his plasma blast charged and ready, he sent it flying towards the viking.

Immediately Hiccup broke the spell-stream, cancelling out his own stream of fire as the plasma blast hit the dark viking directly with an explosion that was lethal, and in almost an instant, the viking was brutally slain there and then as he was sent flying back in flames as a burning husk.

Hiccup breathed intensely, but also stood there shakened from what just happened, and looked back to his dragon who gave him a nudge with his head, getting his senses back together.

_"Hey! Are you all right?" _asked Toothless in Dragonese, to which Hiccup nodded.

"He nearly had me there! Were it not for you, I would've been-"

_"Don't worry about it, Hiccup. I understand you're traumatized, but we still need to look for the others! Just hold it together; I'm with you from here on out!"_

"Astrid? The riders? W- Where are they?"

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder to look back at the battlefield, gazing through the burning smoke, all while the fighting raged on and intensified. So far, everything appeared to be in favor of his allies. Only a dozen votun were slain thus far, but it was nothing compared to the hundreds of orc, goblin, and dark viking corpses that littered across the pass.

Yet from up ahead, Hiccup could still see the tide of the enemy continuing to flow as more and more of their ranks joined the battle. However, the rest of the votun's forces had also joined the fight as well, along with the mighty storm dragons of whom were shooting down bolts of lightning on their foes while their half-giant riders shot forth multitudes of arrows from their bows.

To the votun, it was quite a sight to see.

While Hiccup looked through the smoke however, he was soon to spot Astrid and the rest of the group near the center of the battlefield, lined up on small slope while standing their ground with their dragons against waves of orcs and goblins.

Yet he knew it was only a matter of time before they were overrun.

Hiccup quickly turned his head to Toothless, and motioned for him to follow after pointing out Astrid and the others. Without question, the dragon began to follow his rider through the chaos. Any orcs or goblins that got in their way were easily cut down or blasted to smithereens, while the few dark vikings they encountered took a little more of their ability to take out. Thankfully, they were not as powerful as the one of whom Hiccup had trouble facing.

All the while Hiccup fought, the lad could see from afar how his friends were faring against enemy, and from the way he saw it, they were a literal meat grinder...

Astrid stood her ground as if she were a shieldmaiden from Valhalla. Her axe chopped through the ranks of foes that rushed her, thinking that she was a simpler target compared to the votun of whom were bashing their ranks all across the battlefield. But they were heavily mistaken. Fearless Astrid Hofferson was her name, and with her skill and strength combined, the enemy could not break her, nor push her back, as even the swift goblins were too slow for her.

Fishlegs all the while fought with the same rage he had when the orcs burned down his hut on Berk. The warrior was a literal bulwark despite the brutes being larger in stature. His hammer, engulfed with fiery magic, came crashing down against the orcs like a flaming Mjolnir, and any effort that they made to successfully strike Fishlegs only bolstered him to fight on.

Aside from him, Snotlout also fought with the use of his magic being the Wing of Midgard he was, while also fighting expertisingly with his sword. Using his recently acquired power of the storms, he cast forth bolts of purple lightning that jumped from foe to foe in a lethal chain reaction, taking down groups of two or three orcs and goblins at a time.

But those who came close to him only received the brunt of his onslaught as they were cut down by a flurry of slices and dices from his blade. By blood, Snotlout was still a warrior, even ever since a young age.

Then there was Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Being the up-to-no-good twins that they were, they both double-teamed their opponents like wolves hunting their prey. Despite their slightly clumsy stances with their flaming-tipped spears, they still managed to make an effort against the waves of foes.

Every time an orc or goblin would attempt to take on Ruffnut, they would instead find themselves stabbed and jabbed by Tuffnut's spear over and over again before Ruffnut herself would join in on the "fun." But it was likewise for both twins.

And finally, there was Arn. The Alsworn viking, though unable to use magic like the Wings of Midgard nearby were able to, still proved to be an efficient warrior. His years of experience against the Dark Legions helped him in understanding almost every single foe that they had thrown at him.

With his blade Runefang, he swept down on the orcs and their lesser and smaller goblin allies like sport. His strength and speed supported one another in every instance, and his precision in his strikes were that of a light elf's attacks.

However, as time went on, both he and the others were beginning to get covered in scratches and bruises delivered by their foes, and as the group of six continued holding their ground, they soon noticed that the waves slowly began decreasing as less and less of the enemy was charging at them.

Yet they were unsure if they could continue holding.

"Keep fighting!" yelled out Astrid through the sounds of battle. "They're starting to dwindle!"

"It would be better if we had Hiccup around!" replied Snotlout. "I don't know if we can hold much longer!"

"He'll show up! He's probably busy fighting, or looking for us already!" spoke Arn, giving a Snotlout a quick glance. "But as long as we draw breath, they will fall! We just need to-"

"LOOK OUT!"

The voice of a votun warrior fighting nearby bellowed across the battle as the bright flash of a several flaming boulders flying through the air caught the group's attention. Looking up ahead, they saw what it was.

Catapults.

Astrid's jaw dropped as she yelled out to everyone, "GET BACK!"

But it was too late.

The volley of catapult fire came flying in, and though all three projectiles barely missed the young vikings, both they and their dragons were still knocked to the ground from the explosive landing as flames bursted upon impact and set a dozen nearby votun aflame.

However, the dragons, frightened and startled by the sudden catapult volley, stood back onto their paws and feet and ran off into the smoke of battle away from the fighting, while also leaving their riders alone.

Astrid gagged and choked on dirt as it filled the air around her. She breathed heavily as she struggled to stand, and felt her world spinning from the intensity of the earth-quaking volley.

Eventually, she managed to stand to both of her feet, but her sight was hazy, and she felt extremely dizzy.

"STORMFLY!" she called out with worry as she looked around the field of battle, while at one point nearly falling over from her light-headedness.

But despite the effort, she could not find her dragon.

"Stormfly, where are you!?"

Her only reply however was that of a growl that came from behind her. Through the smoke, an armored orc came forth, carrying a great axe which he would use to cut down the seemingly exposed viking, and as Astrid turned around, she immediately recognized the orc, as it was the same brute she saw before the battle began.

Despite the struggle of standing, Astrid tightly gripped her axe with both hands, and prepared for what the orc had to give her if he truly so dared to challenge her.

...But it never came.

As the brute rushed towards Astrid with his axe raised, the sound of a screeching dragon, specifically a Night Fury, filled her ears as it blocked out all other noises for just a mere moment. What followed was a burst of purple fire that hit the orc from behind with an impact that was too much to take, for the blow was lethal.

The armored warrior's body fell face first, burning, and as Astrid looked past his corpse and through the smoke of battle, she saw Hiccup standing with Toothless, both of whom breathed heavily from the constant battling they went through to reach her and the others.

"Hiccup…?"

Upon saying his name, the lad rushed over to her as she stood there shocked, as well as in wonder as to where he was the whole time.

His hands then fell onto her shoulders. "Are you alright!?" he asked her, and she nodded as the lad helped straighten her out. At that moment, her dizziness began to fade.

"What took you so long?" she asked him as she dusted herself off.

"I had a bit of trouble with one of those... vikings," he answered to her. "More importantly however, where in Midgard's name are the dragons? Weren't they with you?"

"They fled!" spoke up a voice, to which Hiccup and Astrid turned their heads, and from nearby they saw Arn, struggling to stand to his feet along with the other riders who were around him.

"The orcs' catapults scared them off out of shock!" he added on. "I saw them fly away after I was knocked down, and then everything went dizzy for me! I have no idea where they went..."

"Well at least you and the others are alive! That's all that matters," said Hiccup as he hastily walked over to the lad and offered him a hand, swiftly helping him up to his feet. "But I must say, you guys look beaten up!"

"Uh… ya think?" exclaimed Ruffnut, looking up at Hiccup as she slowly got up to her feet. "Those catapults nearly kaboomed us into oblivion!"

"It could've been worse, sis," replied Tuffnut whilst straightening himself out. "But I just gotta say… that kaboom really… hurt…"

"Oh please, I've had worse!" spoke up Snotlout, but not before gritting his teeth from the pain that suddenly began jolting through his body. "This was just… well… child's play…"

"All right, I think we get it," said Fishlegs. "And as much as I'd like to talk, I'm pretty sure we still need to get back into the fight."

"Agreed. Now's not the time for discussions," said Astrid, glancing at each of the riders. "It's Hiccup's call what we do next, so let him make the decision."

Astrid then turned her head back to face Hiccup, but as her eyes fell upon him, she noticed the lad facing the other direction, almost as if he was focusing on something…

"...Hiccup-?"

"Shh!" interrupted Hiccup as he held a hand up. "Do you guys hear that…?"

"Hear what?" asked Snotlout.

"Exactly… The sounds of battle," he responded. "The screams… the fighting… I don't hear them anymore."

Immediately everyone went silent, and what followed was the mere sound of several blades cutting down the last orc and goblin within the ruined pass that now ran with their corpses. It seemed that the fighting had abruptly stopped.

All the votun warriors, as well as the storm dragons and their riders who flew above the battlefield, looked around with curious eyes, but even the young vikings were confused. Was the battle really already over?

"It stopped..." said Fishlegs. "Does that mean we've won? Have we done it?"

"No! It is not over!" spoke out the sudden, deep, and familiar voice of a votun.

Immediately everyone's heads turned back to face the source of the voice, and in the distance they saw Ragnar, making his way towards them with Torstein and Helgan by his side. The three of them were covered in orc blood.

"Ragnar?" asked Hiccup as he stepped forward, grabbing the chieftain's attention. "What happened? Why did the fighting stop?"

"The orcs and their allies retreated, but it appears that what they sent at us was only the beginning!" he answered, but in an uncomfortable tone as he stopped in front of the young vikings, now staring down at them.

"Hundreds of corpses lay around us, but not thousands. They must be getting ready for a second wave, there's no doubt about it!"

"Bjornar must know that we have the advantage," added on Helgan. "That can be the only explanation."

"But isn't he too arrogant to believe such a thing?" asked Hiccup. "Plus, why would he pull a move like this? He doesn't care about strategy! All he cares about is fighting, and going in for the-"

The lad's voice suddenly came to a halt as the sound of a bellowing horn blasted twice through the air, almost catching everyone by surprise. In that moment, their gazes turned to the west, directly ahead of the pass, but at the same time, Ragnar's voice called out to his soldiers, ordering for them to rally up and to prepare for the next wave.

Without question, the votun warriors ran over to stand behind their leader, reforming their ranks as they readied themselves for what was to come beyond the pass.

All while this was going on however, Hiccup began thinking to himself, _'Where in Thor's name are the dragons? We could really use their help by now!'_

After all, their numbers had thinned out by quite a few, and the fighting left them exhausted.

Yet as he thought more about it, the sound of what appeared to be wings flapping suddenly caught his attention, and before anyone knew it, Stormfly landed slamming down right next to her rider within the nick of time, causing the group to nearly jump from the startling surprise.

"Perfect timing!" said Astrid as she turned to reach a hand out to pet Stormfly's head, relieved she was safe. "Where in Midgard have you been, girl?"

The Nadder merely replied with a squawk, which Hiccup understood in Dragonese as, _"We were kinda busy!"_

It was then that the young vikings turned their eyes to look up. One by one, the rest of the dragons came flying down from above to land next to their riders in combat-readied manners.

"Now we're ready," smirked Hiccup. "Be prepared for anything, vikings! No matter what comes at us, we will hold."

Yet despite Hiccup's words, it seemed at first as if nothing was coming. Only the sound of the wind filled their ears as they gazed up ahead to see if anything or anyone was going to come.

But then they heard a pair of boots stomping towards them, as well as moving chains, and an uncomfortable piercing noise that sounded like something large and sharp scratching against rock.

...And that was when they saw him.

Through the fog of war, came a single lone warrior, wearing black plate armor from head to toe, as well as a black furred cloak and a metal horned helmet that covered everything but their face. At first Hiccup thought it was a dark viking, but then he began to notice how his stature was too tall for that of a human - or even an orc, and his figure was too similar to that of a votun.

That was when it hit him. That was when Hiccup realized who it was that now stood before them.

Bjornar had come forth, carrying a greatsword that he dragged against the rocky earth beneath his feet. The warrior's eyes glowed as green as the orcs' own gazes, and his eyebrows were as low as they could be. Yet Hiccup began to wonder; why did he come alone?

The traitor glared his eyes at the ranks of votun that stood before him. Despite how few in number they were compared to the legion he commanded, he could see there and then that hundreds of his forces laid dead.

He knew that if he could not butcher them all, he would have to get rid of just one.

And thus, his voice spoke up.

"HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK!" he bellowed. "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! IF YOU DESIRE TO END THIS, THEN I OFFER FOR YOU COME FORWARD, AND FINISH WHAT WAS STARTED!"

"FIGHT ME!"

Hiccup's eyes suddenly widened as he looked back at his friends with uncertainty. He was unsure what to say in response to the half-giant. But before he could reply, Ragnar's voice spoke up.

"How do we not know this is a trick, traitor?!" the chieftain called out. "You have done nothing but lie and scheme like a rat! The gods are angry for what you have done! They are angry for your heresy! For your betrayal!"

"HERESY?!" Bjornar loudly chuckled. "I SERVE THE ONE TRUE GOD OF MIDGARD! ODIN'S POWER IS NOTHING COMPARED TO HIS, AND WHEN HE BREAKS FREE, ALL WILL TREMBLE BEFORE HIM, FOR HIS NAME IS MALDRAGOR!"

"And do you really think the Dark Master could best Odin!?" exclaimed Hiccup, finding his words as he raised his voice and stepped forward out of line. "Maldragor is nothing but a monster! He was beaten once before, and he will be beaten again! If you really think that he is better than Odin, then consider your offer accepted!"

"I will fight you, in Odin's name!"

"Hiccup!?" gasped Astrid.

Bjornar gave a wicked grin as he lifted his sword to rest on his shoulder. "HAHA! THEN LET IT BE AS SO! THE CHAMPION OF ODIN VERSUS THE CHAMPION OF MALDRAGOR! JUST YOU, AND ME!"

Hiccup sighed as he gave a nod, knowing that the challenge was now accepted. However, as he turned back to face the riders, he could see the disapproving and worried looks that they had on their faces.

"Hiccup, how do you even know you can win?" asked Astrid. "Bjornar is a votun for crying out loud! A half-giant! He could kill you before the fight even begins! Who knows what tricks he can-"

"I don't know if I can win, Astrid... I just don't know," he responded with honesty. "...But that doesn't mean that it's guaranteed that I'll lose. If Bjornar really thinks that the Dark Master will save him, then it may be that he's just doomed himself."

"How exactly do you know?" asked Snotlout. "What are you trying to imply here?"

Hiccup merely turned his back to them as his mind was already made up. He gave out a soft exhale of air, before replying to them, "From what I learned in the past with Drago, he does not keep puppets for long. And that is what Bjornar is. He's no champion. He's just a puppet, both to him and to Maldragor."

"And that makes him cannon fodder."

And to that, the lad let out a deep sigh as he finished off with, "Wish me luck," before proceeding to walk forward.

Toothless, though wishing to follow and aid his friend, knew he could not help him out in any way. This was a one versus one. A fight to the death.

As Hiccup made his way forward towards Bjornar, the blade of his sword suddenly bursted and ignited in bright magical orange flames from the anger that he was holding in. Clearly he had enough of the trouble that the votun made him go through, and now it was time to get even with him.

After walking a bit of a distance, Hiccup stopped a dozen yards away from the half-giant, who had begun to pace back and forth, glaring at him with his beady and evil green eyes. In his mind, he assumed that he was going to be the victor, but what was to say that he couldn't be beaten?

After a few steps, Bjornar stopped in his tracks and glared at Hiccup, now parallel to him as his great blade hit the ground beside him. The half-giant grinned, showing off a view of his putrid and disgusting teeth.

Hiccup let out warm air from his nostrils. His brows lowered in a similar look that Bjornar had, but he did not grin. He was ready to let himself out on the votun, as even the fire that glowed lightly in his eyes reflected the raging temper that he struggled to hold in.

What followed was a long quiet moment between the two opponents, before Bjornar unlatched his cloak from his back, and finally muttered out the words:

"Let it be finished..."

And to that, the large warrior let out a roar and began running furiously towards Hiccup, all while dragging his great black-iron blade along the rocky ground.

With quick motion, Hiccup positioned himself into a combat-readied stance as the raging and chaotic half-giant continued to close in on him. His left hand held on tightly to the hilt of the Dragon Blade, whilst his right glowed with fiery magic - extended out and at the ready.

Soon, Bjornar was but a mere few feet away from Hiccup, ready to go in for the kill. However, the lad's instincts suddenly kicked in as he eyed his foe who was prepared to topple him and butcher him. Something in him snapped, and as the half-giant was about to bring his blade down…

Hiccup's right arm shook as a blast of fire came shooting out of his hand within a matter of seconds, hitting the votun between his chest and head with a searing scorch. The pain was more than what Bjornar anticipated - so much so as it was enough to stop his charge.

With the momentum now on his side, Hiccup suddenly rushed towards Bjornar with a swift dash, and before the votun could even react, the young viking rolled right underneath him between his legs. Then, upon landing behind him, he made another move.

With his flaming hot blade, Hiccup made a bold but successful attempt as he slashed his sword across the back of Bjornar despite it being protected by plated armor. Surprisingly however, the fiery magic on his sword helped him cut through the plate almost like nothing; as if it were a knife cutting through butter. And as Bjornar felt the scorching metal hit his flesh, he let out a bellowing scream, for the molten pain was near excruciating. It was more than what he had ever expected from a human, who he viewed as weaker and more fragile.

But then he remembered who he was going up against. After all, this was no mere human.

As he fell to one knee, his pain was suddenly replaced with newfound rage. His green glowing eyes suddenly began to glow brighter, and as he looked over his shoulder towards Hiccup who was standing at the ready, he let out a roar, causing his gigantic blade to ignite in chaos fire.

With great strength, he brought his blade up and around, aiming down onto the lad who nearly did not see the blow coming, but with his swift movement, Hiccup quickly backed away before the blade could slice him two. But upon crashing down into the ground, the viking felt the ground beneath him vibrate as chaos fire bursted outwards violently from Bjornar's blade.

The half-giant had no time for games, and he would not stop there.

Almost immediately, Bjornar stood to his feet as he brought his blade up, bringing it around in an attempt to strike Hiccup from the side. But the young viking was quick, for he ducked down to dodge his attack, and yet Bjornar responded with another strike that came from above, to which Hiccup also dodged by dashing to the side. Despite the effort however, Bjornar continued his flurry of spins and cleaves, slicing and dicing his gigantic blade at Hiccup as best as he could.

For a short while the two warriors fought in the same way. Hiccup would dodge every single attack that Bjornar had to throw at him, yet the votun would not give up his assault. At one point, Bjornar managed to slice a few scratches onto Hiccup's face and hands with the curved tip of his large blade, but despite the effort, the weight of the weapon was only slowing him down

...Then something happened that Hiccup did not see coming.

Bjornar threw his sword to the ground as he furiously exclaimed, "GAH! THIS BLADE IS ONLY SLOWING ME DOWN! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" before suddenly extending his hands out towards Hiccup, and with a frontward flick of his wrists, bolts of chaos lightning immediately shot out of his palms, hitting Hiccup directly.

The young viking let out a scream as green lightning struck him, sparking up and down his body. The pain he felt was like nothing he felt before, and though it was not meant to be fatal, he could barely do anything to react to it.

He fell to one knee, similar to how Bjornar had at the start of the fight. He felt as if the tables were now turned onto him, and before he knew it, the votun casted forth several more bolts of chaos lightning onto him, causing him to scream once again, and this time it was louder.

Hiccup was now on both of his knees, and from there, what followed was an agonizing torture.

"You were a fool to believe you could defeat me, Wing of Midgard!" he angrily shouted. "Do you see now whose is the winning side!? The Dark Master's power is beyond your weak magics, and THIS is what he's blessed me with! So tell me, Hiccup! Where are your gods now!? WHERE IS ODIN NOW!?"

But Hiccup could not respond. He felt his world slowly fading to black as if his life was beginning to leave his body. For a moment, he could even hear Astrid scream out "NO!" as her voice filled with pain, all while he sat there, being electrocuted torturously.

What could he do? Was this really the end of the line for him?

... However, what seemed like a hopeless situation suddenly turned into something that gave Hiccup a spark of hope. His mind suddenly filled with a voice that was vague, yet also familiar.

He remembered hearing it nearly a month ago. It was during the night he had the vision from the runestone on Berk, which had told him to seek out the wreckage that had later landed on it's shores two days later.

And now, it was speaking to him once more.

_"You have fought well. But it is not yet your time, Wing of Midgard," _said the voice softly. _"Show your opponent what true power you hold… Show him the wrath of the gods that he so much dared to defy…"_

_"Unleash your fury!"_

The voice's last words filled Hiccup with something renewing, and it was then that he felt renewed strength beginning to fill him. Immediately his eyes flipped opened, only to see Bjornar still standing from a distance, casting bolt after bolt of chaos lightning onto him.

And yet there was no pain. All Hiccup felt were small sparks prickling across his body like nothing, and to both his and Bjornar's surprise, the young viking started to slowly stand to his feet.

Bjornar immediately stopped his conjuration as he watched with shock as his opponent stood up, almost as if the pain he casted onto him was simply nothing.

"What is this!?" he grunted demandingly. "Are you still yet trying to stand against the inevitable!? You cannot win!"

Hiccup merely smirked at him, as he replied calmly, "No. I'm afraid it's you who can't win," and as if it was nothing, Hiccup conjured up purple lightning in his palms, starting out as small sparks before it began bolting all across his body as if it were attracted to him.

Soon, his entire body became enveloped in lightning, and as he gazed back at Bjornar, he could see the expression that now filled his eyes, for it was of the slightest intimidation.

"Make your move, big man," said Hiccup tauntingly. "Or are you too afraid to admit that you have already lost?"

"Shut your mouth!" yelled Bjornar, now clutching his fists. "I. WILL. NOT. LOSE!"

With wrath and anger, Bjornar rushed at Hiccup with renewed speed, but at the same time, Hiccup also began to run towards him. The stormy magic that enveloped him from head to toe made him feel as if he were stronger and faster than ever.

And surprisingly, it was no exaggeration, for Hiccup charged Bjornar like a lightning bolt, running twice as fast than he usually would.

With a strong and sudden leap, Hiccup jumped at Bjornar with his hand rolled into a fist, and as it tightened, an immediate surge of energy filled him which made him feel more powerful than before.

And then, Hiccup made his move.

The Wing of Midgard punched the large warrior in the face, sending him hurling back several yards as multiple bolts of powerful storm magic struck him, causing Bjornar to let out a roar of pain as he was sent flying back with lightning striking all across his body.

Upon landing on his back, Bjornar swiftly made the attempt to quickly get back up to his feet. But as he did, the sound of metal and flames flying through the air caught his attention, and as he looked forward, he saw the ignited Dragon Blade spinning through the air towards him… but at a speed too fast to react to.

After that, he only felt the piercing of his own armor and flesh as Hiccup's blade stabbed itself directly through his chest, and with such strength that he had never felt before.

It was over for him...

Bjornar fell to his knees, toppling in defeat to his foe of whom he believed he had beaten. And yet at the very last second, he was easily cast down by him. Although he was the wolf, and Hiccup was a pup, the young viking proved that he was the one with fangs.

As Hiccup approached his defeated opponent, he proceeded to pull his blade out from the warrior's broken body, and then asked him, "Any last words?"

At first, Bjornar did not say any words. The commander merely began to laugh as he looked up at Hiccup with a grin, despite the fact that he was dying.

"You may have defeated me…" he spoke weakly. "But you have not defeated MY legion!"

With his last breath of air, Bjornar mustered up what he could, and let out a roar that blasted through the air beyond the pass like a war horn. And with that, Bjornar fell down to his side. Defeated...

Yards behind Hiccup, his friends and allies stood there with looks of relief on their faces. What seemed like an impossible turn around suddenly became possible as Hiccup finally managed to draw upon the magic of storm to take down Bjornar. Even Ragnar could not believe it.

However, the mood would be cut short as the sound of a horn echoed through the pass once again, and it was then that everyone came to realize that although Bjornar was defeated, his legion was not.

Hiccup began breathing quickly as he looked ahead of the pass, and what he heard were thousands of voices yelling and roaring, as well as the sound of thousands of boots hitting the ground beneath them.

The realization quickly dawned upon Hiccup. The entire legion was about to wash over them, and there was no doubt about it.

Up ahead, thousands of orcs, goblins, and dark vikings ran through the pass, along with dozens of trolls that were preserved for this moment, ready to smash aside any foe that would get in their way.

By then, everyone knew what was coming, and thus, the riders, the votun, and the dragons all made their way into their positions, ready to make one last stand against what could possibly mean their doom.

"HICCUP, GET BACK!" shouted Ragnar. "If you go in, you'll die before you can even fight! HICCUP!"

Hiccup however was lost in his mind. He was too busy thinking, and yet he knew that he had to think fast, for if the enemy force reached them, they would stand no chance.

However, as he continued thinking about it, a word began filling his mind. Something that the voice had told him as he was on the verge of blacking out. It just one simple word:

_"Fury… Fury… Fury… Fury!"_

It was then that he knew what to do.

Hiccup took a few steps forward, walking past the body of Bjornar as he laid his eyes on the pass itself. If he and his allies could not destroy the enemy, then mayhaps the land that stood around them could.

And so he closed his eyes...

In his mind, he imagined the army of orcs and other creatures being casted down by lightning and thunder itself. He imagined the cliffs trembling and the storm being unleashed as the wrath of Thor himself came down upon the enemy.

And he would be the one to conjure such a powerful spell.

Hiccup allowed for his arms to stretch outwards to his sides, and as he opened his eyes, the sound of thunder filled his ears like large distant drums, which began to get louder, and louder, and louder…

Until he noticed his hands started to glow, becoming brighter and brighter by the second.

The same powerful magic that enveloped his body before began to spark up once again. Both his palms and his eyes were filled with storm magic, and as each second passed, the energy began to intensify. As it did, lightning began striking down from the clouds, making the area rumble from all around. Soon, powerful winds began to pick up, and the booming of the thunder was louder than ever.

As the spell continued on, Hiccup still kept thinking about the same word. Fury. It kept going through his mind as the image he pictured earlier slowly began to become a reality, yet his friends and allies were beyond belief. What was happening?

"Uh… Hiccup!?" called out Fishlegs, trying to get his attention. But the lad did not reply.

Astrid however yelled out to him, urging him to work faster as the enemy legion was ready to close in on them.

"Whatever you're planning to do, DO IT NOW! THEY'RE ALMOST ON TOP OF US!"

Finally, as the spell reached it's peak, Hiccup felt a surge of power take ahold of him, and he let out a bellowing roar as a great stream of lightning was unleashed from the stormy clouds above, channeling powerful magic into him as he felt as if the very power of Thor himself was coursing through him.

...What followed was utter devastation for the enemy.

From the sky, large lightning bolts struck down, shaking nearby cliff tops as the pass itself slowly came crumbling down on the orcs and their allies as they were demolished by lightning. What was once thousands of war-cries became thousands of horrifying screams.

Giant parts of the cliffs came crumbling down from the lightning that crashed down onto them, along with powerful bolts of storm magic that brutally struck anyone down with a single hit. The whole situation was chaos as the pass was literally collapsing in on itself.

After what seemed like minutes of utter destruction, Hiccup began to calm himself as the last and largest chunk of the collapsing cliffs came crashing down, just as the storm slowly began to relax. The magic in his eyes began to fade, and the energy that enveloped him started to subside until not even a single bolt of storm magic was sparking across his body.

As he came back to his senses, he saw before him the damage that he had done. What was once a pass was now collapsed in by gigantic walls of rock.

And beneath it laid an army of thousands.

Realizing it was over, Hiccup turned to face back towards his friends and allies, who stood there frozen in silence, amazed but also horrified as to what he had just done. It was as if he had done the impossible.

The lad took a step forward, and silently started making his way over to them. However, the way in which he walked clearly showed that he was exhausted. His head was lowered despite him trying to keep his gaze on his friends, and his back was slightly bent forward, weighing down from the stress of the battle.

"Hiccup?" asked Arn, breaking the silence. "W- What did you just do?"

Yet as he finally came before them, the only response that came out of his mouth was, "We've done it," before his exhaustion finally took ahold of him as he felt himself go off balance, falling over to his side.

And then, there was only blackness...

"Hiccup!"


	40. The Great Fleet

**Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you guys are doing well on this wonderful day, because now, I bring to you all another chapter!**

**As I promised, my schedule for uploading chapters will change as I will start to post them more often for the next month until college starts once again, in which it will unfortunately slow down. But until then, enjoy what I have to bring to you!**

**I hope you guys have a Merry Christmas, and please enjoy!**

* * *

Hiccup felt himself laying down atop something soft as he slowly began to awaken. A warm and comforting heat surrounded him as the sound of multiple voices from all around him conversed with one another in soft tones.

The lad did not know where he was, but judging by how he was all of a sudden in another place, he came to realize that he had blacked out. Even now was he slightly struggling to wake up.

As for the voices, they sounded muffled to his ears at first, but it did not take long for him to figure out that the people around him were his friends who were talking amongst each other, and the softness he laid upon was a bed, with a blanket that was slightly tucked around him and a feathery pillow that rested beneath the back of his head.

Eventually, Hiccup managed to regain most of his consciousness. But rather than opening his eyes to greet his friends, he kept them close to overhear what they were saying. By the way they spoke however, he could clearly hear that they sounded impatient and worried.

"How long is he going to remain unconscious?" asked Arn as he paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, keeping a soft tone. "He's been blacked out for too long. If we don't move soon, the Dark Legions will march against either the dwarves or the light elves, and it's only a matter of time before they do so."

Astrid shook her head with a sigh, crossing her arms while leaning against the wall. "There's nothing we can do to rush him in regaining his consciousness. I don't know how Hiccup learned to cast such a powerful spell, but whatever it was, it must've been drained him."

"Astrid's right," nodded Fishlegs, slightly sinking in the chair he sat upon. "The energy Hiccup conjured was nothing like anything I've seen before. Not even Gothi's power compares to it. But besides that, we don't know if or when the enemy will make a move. For all we know, they could be preparing another army."

"Unfortunately the Dark Legions don't sit around. They don't need time to prepare another army. They can just send one out like _that," _responded Arn, snapping his finger on the last word.

"Uhh… so then why don't we do the same thing Hiccup did?" questioned Ruffnut, who sat down against the wall. "Summon a big ol' thunderstorm, bing bang boom, we kick Legion butt."

"That's a stupid idea, Ruffnut," replied Snotlout. "Do you really think it'd be that easy just to do a spell like that? It was hard enough for me to focus my magic when I fought the giant back at the storm dragons' nest."

"Ooooor maybe you just suck at magic compared to Hiccup," said Tuffnut in an immature tone.

"What!? How do I suck at it? I only recently found out that I was a Wing of Midgard, and yet I was able to use a new element and go solo on a giant! But you two couldn't even cast a single fireball before! How the-"

"Guys! That's enough," interrupted Astrid in an abrupting voice. "...There's no time to talk over something that isn't important. What's important right now is planning out our next course of action. What would Hiccup want us to do?"

"I would have you guys stop arguing and have you listen to me..."

The sudden voice of Hiccup caused everyone to gasp in startle as their eyes all turned to the lad, now fully awake as he slowly but strugglingly began to sit up, all while he kept his back to the wall behind him.

"Astrid… please help me up…" he spoke.

In a rush, Astrid immediately went over to him and helped straighten him out as he wanted, all without causing too much pain from the bruises and scratches that were still healing.

As soon as he was sat up straight, Astrid smiled as she leaned down and lightly wrapped her arms around him in a hug, showing that she was glad he was awake, to which the lad lightly grinned and hugged her back.

"Thanks," he said as they split.

Astrid gave a nod as she backed away from him, but still kept by his side just in case.

Hiccup let out a sigh as he fully opened his eyes, staring back at the group both with a serious and concerned expression.

"What time is it?" he asked them. "And… where's Toothless?"

"It's the early morning right now," Arn spoke softly. "And Toothless is hanging out in the feasting hall with the other dragons. Still, it's good you're finally awake. We were beginning to wonder how long you were going to be blacked out since the spell you conjured on the enemy during the battle drained you. You were out for three days!"

"Three days? Well at least it wasn't a week," sighed Hiccup. "And more importantly, we won the battle at the pass. Did we not?"

"We sure did," nodded Astrid. "If it weren't for you, we would've been slaughtered."

"Good. Then I suggest you all get ready to leave as soon as possible," the lad responded all of a sudden, causing everyone in the room to eye him with confused eyes. "Because even with our victory against the enemy, they still have the momentum they need to make another attack, and it's one that won't be here. If we don't get moving soon, they may gain the advantage."

"Uh- What on Midgard are you talking about?" asked Snotlout, confused with Hiccup's words. "The way you talk makes it sound as if you know that the enemy is on the move."

"That's because they are, Snotlout," said Hiccup, letting out sigh as he slightly narrowed his eyes downwards.

"...I never told you guys this, but the night before the battle of the pass, I had a vision in my sleep. In the vision, I was surrounded by fields of grass, underneath a night sky with blue stars shining down. At first, there was nothing there. Just me, the wind, and the meadows."

"A- And then," he added on, stuttering. "I saw him…"

"...Him?" asked Astrid, to which Hiccup narrowed his eyes back up, and for a moment, silently and stared back at Astrid.

"It was my dad."

Almost immediately, everyone's eyes widened with shock, almost as if goosebumps began running up and down their skin. It was not a feeling of fear or discomfort, but of an unexpected surprise.

"Stoick?" asked Fishlegs. "You mean- you actually spoke with him? How? I thought he-"

"My dad said that with Odin's help, he managed to separate his spirit from his body, and by using his mind, he easily made a place where my consciousness and his spirit could talk. Either way, it was still him, and I was beyond words."

"You tell me, H," spoke Tuffnut, catching everyone's glance. "As soon as you mentioned Odin, this whole talk just went from ten to a hundred REALLY fast."

"I couldn't believe it either, Tuff," replied Hiccup, before clearing his throat and continuing on.

"From there, my dad and I had a short but very important talk, and what he told me that night was something I didn't expect. He told me that while our attention was diverted on the pass, Drago took the opportunity to send another army towards the elves of Nordell. But from what I've heard, it's going to be an even greater force than the last, and if we don't act soon, then the elves and their city will fall under siege…"

Silence filled the room as everyone glanced at one another with uneased expressions. It became clear to them why Hiccup had mentioned Stoick on the day of the battle, and why Bjornar's march was not a surprise to him. He had been told in advance before any of them, but now with this news now brought to their attention, they knew that they had to reach the elven realm as soon as possible.

"...How long will it take for us to reach Nordell?" asked Astrid, now glancing back at Arn.

"By dragon, it should take us less than a week if we fly as fast as possible," he said assuringly. "But we'll need to be careful. The orcs have outposts set up all across the continent, and if they spot us, they won't hesitate to use whatever means necessary to take us down. We'll need to move fast and stay out of sight."

"Very well," nodded Astrid, before turning her gaze back onto Hiccup as she asked, "So, what are your orders, chief?"

Hiccup then immediately responded, "I want you all to get your things packed. Gather the dragons, and meet up in the feasting hall. Along with that, tell Ragnar I want to speak to him before we leave… and make sure you all grab a bite to eat."

"Also, I'll need my equipment. ...Where did you guys leave it?"

"We put it aside for ya," smirked Tuffnut, motioning towards both himself and his sister.

"Aaand we made sure to place it on the table for you, as neat and organized as possible," added on Ruffnut, pointing towards the surprisingly yet neatly tidied up clothing behind them.

Hiccup grinned, gladdened that the Twins did something without making a mistake for once. "Great! Then I guess I'll get to changing into my gear and…"

It was then that his grin began to turn upside down. As Hiccup was about to lift the blanket from his legs, he immediately looked down and gave an irritated sigh as he looked back the Twins and asked them, "Where are my pants?"

"Woops…"

…

* * *

_"About time you're awake!" _called out Toothless in Dragonese, running towards his rider faster than a stag. _"GIMME A HUG, SCRAWNY FELLA!"_

"Heyheyhey, slow down, bud-! WHOA!"

Hiccup had barely any time to respond, and just like so, he was knocked to the floor of the feasting hall, straight onto his back, all while Toothless was licking his rider like the dragon he was.

"Touch down!" let out Ruffnut, pointing down at the pinned lad.

"Looks like he's glad to see you," chuckled Astrid, as she and the others along with their dragons gazed down at Hiccup being "assaulted" by the black dragon.

_"Well, he should've seen it coming," _added on Hookfang.

"Eugh!" groaned Hiccup as he lightly nudged the Night Fury off of him before standing to his feet, flicking his arms as he attempted to wipe himself off.

"You know that doesn't wash out."

_"Oh I know, you've said that a million times," _replied Toothless as he gargled in laughter._ "Still, I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling? Did you miss me?"_

"I'm all right, bud. And yes, it's good to see you too," smiled Hiccup, patting the dragon's head with a light rub. "However, now that I'm awake, I should tell you that we won't be staying here any longer. In other words, with the orcs and their forces completely wiped off the face of Votunheim, it's time we turn our attention to the rest of Valnr."

_"Does that mean we're heading out soon? When are we leaving?" _asked Toothless.

"We'll be leaving after we get something to eat. For now though, we need to wait for Ragnar. I have something to say to him that's of the utmost importance-"

Just as Hiccup was about to finish, the doors to Ragnar's chambers suddenly flew open, and as everyone's heads turned, they watched as the twelve foot tall chieftain of the Dragonskarn calmly came walking out, all while his eyes stared at the young vikings and their dragons.

The half-giant then proceeded to walk up to his large wooden and furred throne, and upon sitting down, his eyes gazed directly at Hiccup, bowing his head in gesture for the young chieftain of Berk to come forward.

"Step forth, my friend," he said.

Hiccup looked back at the others, nodding at them as he began to hastily yet subtly approach the votun on his throne. The look on his face turned to that of a more serious expression, and as he stopped in front of the throne, the chieftain gave an attentive look to him.

"Hiccup," he began. "I heard from your friends that you wanted to speak to me before departing from the city. Is there something important that you want me to know?"

"Yes," the lad replied. "I just wanted to remind you of the promise you made to my friends and I when we first came here to Votunheim... You said that after we help your people out, you would repay the favor by joining us in this war, and by extent, joining the Alliance of Midgard. If we're to win against the Dark Legions, we-"

"I know, young chieftain. You need not to repeat yourself, or to give some sort of long speech in an attempt to satisfy me," responded Ragnar. "...My answer is an immediate yes."

Hiccup arched a brow. "Wait- just like that?"

"Yes," the chieftain chuckled. "Tell me lad, after everything you have done for my people and I, why would I need another convincing speech? You sacrificed blood and flesh to liberate our valley, and you saved my people from a traitor who nearly starved us. You told me before the battle that after that day, I'd be welcome into your Alliance. Well now it's done, young chieftain. Know that from this day forward and until the end, the Dragonskarn tribe is part of the Alliance of Midgard."

And thus, the pact was made just like so, and as Ragnar extended his gigantic right hand out for a handshake, Hiccup quickly followed along as he eagerly, yet somewhat awkwardly due to the size difference, raised his hand outwards as well, grabbing ahold of two of the votun's large fingers as they finally shook.

From behind however, Ruffnut's voice rose up as she said loudly from across the hall, _"Pfft, quit being overdramatic!"_

Hiccup merely shook his head as he waved her off, but proceeded to ask Ragnar, "So. What do you plan to do now that you're with us?"

"Gather an army of course," the chieftain chuckled. "I will give a speech to the people and begin to recruit as soon as you leave. I will assemble two thousand brave warriors to join our cause, and no less. However, it will take some time for us to leave Votunheim. Since we can't use the pass after what you did, we'll have to take the way along the shore to go around."

"Wait- there was another way in and out from the start?" asked Hiccup, to which again the chieftain laughed.

"Heh! I will admit, I should've told you earlier. However, desperate times called for desperate measures, and we couldn't let the enemy know. Not even the untrusted. But I promise you, we _will_ give Drago and his lapdogs the fight of their lives. Together, we'll make their master tremble."

"That we will," smirked Hiccup.

…

* * *

From across the sea, they sailed...

A gigantic fleet of over a thousand tough viking longships, swift elven war-sloops, and metal-headed dwarven galleys rammed across the ocean, heading north to Valnr where their enemy was, which still yet remained to be eradicated from the face of their world.

But even as the ships sailed, they were not the only ones who were travelling along the voyage.

Up in the cloudy sky, three hundred Berkian dragon riders flew above the massive fleet, riding atop more than a dozen species of dragons as if they were a flying armada. It was indeed a sight that the simple-minded could barely imagine.

Nightmares, Nadders, Gronckles, Zipplebacks, Rumblehorns, Thunderclaws, Thunderdrums, Quakens, Armorwings, Boneknappers, Changewings, Dramillions, Snafflefangs, Raincutters, Hobblegrunts, Razorwhips, Timberjacks, Triple Strykes, Typhoomerangs, and even the mighty Skrills...

All of them flew as one.

But as a whole, the mighty host of humans, elves, dwarves, and dragons alike was an unthinkable possibility that became possible. True to the name, it really was an Alliance of Midgard...

As the colossal armada continued its voyage across the cold ocean, the leaders of each faction gathered atop the dwarven flagship near the center of the fleet, and there they spoke.

Gobber the Belch, along with Eret, Lornduil, Morgrim, Alvin, Dagur, and Heather of the Berserkers, had a meeting about their next course of action, which was finding Hiccup.

At first, Alvin and Dagur suggested splitting up to find the lad, but the other faction leaders, including Heather, came to a disagreement after having a moment of small talk, knowing that the risk would be too great if they were to separate. Thus, the idea was dropped.

"We'll need to use a different strategy if we're to find Hiccup," said Gobber, grabbing the attention of the other leaders. "We're less than two weeks away from Valnr, and we need to plan carefully, even though planning was never my sort."

"I agree with the Berkian," nodded the elven king Lornduil, being the wise elf he was. "Southern Valnr alone is vast, and as we agreed on before, splitting up only makes us more vulnerable to the enemy. We'll need to not just rethink our strategy, but also improvise."

"Personally, I think Valka would know what to do if she was here," said Eret, speaking up. "She knows Hiccup better than most of us. I will admit, it's a shame she chose to stay behind."

"Well, Hiccup wanted her to protect Berk as acting chieftess," replied the Belch. "She chose to stay behind to honor his wish, so it's best we keep it that way."

"Agh, less chattin', more planning!" spoke up Morgrim, the king of the dwarves. "The sooner we find the high chieftain, the faster we'll be able tae smash those orc bastards and their dark gits tae Hel!"

"So then what's our plan?" asked Dagur, now looking at Gobber. "I mean, you can't expect _all of us_ to explore the south together, now can you?"

"Hmph, he has a fair point… it would take a month if we tried going all over the south if we took that approach," said Eret, rubbing his chin. "Maybe longer, and we know well that won't work since it'll take too long. Still, I unfortunately don't have any ideas up my sleeve."

By then, it seemed as if the leaders were running out of ideas. Splitting up would only leave them more vulnerable, and sticking together would take too long to go all over Valnr to search for him. Thus the real question was, what could they do to make it a swift search without being too vulnerable?

However, before any discussion or argument could break out, one voice suddenly spoke up. It was Alvin's.

"If we can't search for Hiccup altogether, then I say we send out _one_ rider," he said, catching everyone's attention with instant interest. "It will be quicker, and safer. Plus, I reckon flying high enough can avoid the orcs' gaze. No one will be able to spot our rider."

"Question is, who will be our rider?" asked Lornduil, and almost immediately, one of the figures around the table rose their hand up, and then the voice of the young lass quickly announced herself.

"I'll go," said Heather, turning the attention from Alvin onto her. "I know Hiccup and his friends better than anyone here. I know how they travel, and I've been able to track them down more than once before. I think it's proper that I find them again."

"Don't be ridiculous, sis," replied Dagur, now speaking in a concerned tone. "You're needed here more than out there. You're the heir of the Berserkers!"

"And you're the chief, brother," Heather added on. "You're more important to our tribe than I am, and Windshear is among the faster dragons of our group. If I go swift, I can reach Valnr in four days. From there, I can look for Hiccup."

"Do you trust me?"

Dagur let out a sigh, realizing that there was nothing he could do to change his sister's mind. Along with that, he also knew that there was another reason, though not as vital, for why she wanted to search for Hiccup and the others. It was Fishlegs.

"...Do you need supplies?" he asked her, to which she shook her head.

"I have food and water packed on my saddle. It'll be enough to last a week. After that however, I'll need to find a tavern and resupply. But I assure you Dagur, I _will_ make it."

"Then you ought to get going, sis. Time is ticking," replied Dagur.

Heather gave a nod as she proceeded to grab ahold of a horn that hung by a string on the side of her waist. It was a calling horn that the lass used to summon Windshear from afar whenever she was needed. Most times, Heather would blow it whenever in a rush or an emergency, and that time was now.

Upon blowing the horn, a loud and high-pitched blast sounded out into the air, echoing across the area for a short moment. Within less than ten seconds, the familiar sight of Heather's metal-plated dragon came flying into view, and like so, the dragon landed beside her in a swift swoop.

"Windshear, looks like you and I have business we need to do up north. You and I are going to look for Hiccup."

The dragon nodded as she let out a light croon, gesturing for the rider to mount up. But before Heather could, the voice of the dwarven king called out to her.

"Er- Hold on lass!" said Morgrim, catching her attention. "Before ya go, I have something that I want ye tae give tae Hiccup. If ya wouldn't mind, I want ye tae stay here fer a moment."

Although the dwarf's favour was questioning to her, she disregarded the thought and gave the king a nod of approval and allowed him to quickly run off to retrieve what he needed.

Morgrim immediately made his way into the cabin of his ship, almost in a rush, and not even a minute passed before he came running back out with a steelbox in his hands. Heather was unsure what exactly was in it, but by the look of the dwarven king's excited face, she could tell it was something of great value.

The four and a half foot dwarf stopped in front of Heather, and presented her the box.

"Open it fer yerself, so that ya don't have tae wait fer Hiccup tae see it first."

Though it was a bit mysterious, Heather once again nodded as she took ahold of the box and unhatched the lock, before proceeding to slowly open the metallic container. However, what she found inside had her jaw dropped. She knew the dwarves were a special people known for making all kinds of different contraptions, but the item in the box that her eyes laid on was nothing she had ever seen before.

"What is it?" she asked, looking back at Morgrim, to which he responded grinningly,

"A new weapon."

…

* * *

...As time continued passing along, and Hiccup and his allies progressed in their campaign against the enemy, the Legions' darkest forces too ployed against them from the shadows...

Far to the north, in the blackened and impossible lands of the Dark Legions, more wicked forces continued gathering across its barren wastes as the Dark Master's chaotic and voidic presence grew evermore, and as it did, its influence continued spreading across the region.

Yet even as Maldragor's power grew, the warlord of the Dark Legions had other matters on his mind that concerned him.

From within the towering obsidian citadel of Legionblight, the Dark Legions' main bastion, Drago Bludvist sat atop his throne, pondering to himself of the failure that had happened in Votunheim. Though he cared not for Bjornar's death, he did not anticipate the army's crushing defeat by the hands of Hiccup and his allies.

After all, the legion he sent forth was not _at all_ meant to be a pushover, for it was one of the more elite legions of orcs and other foul warriors… and yet they were defeated.

As he went on and on thinking about the recent events, his gaze fell upon the center of the room, where from out of the corner of his eye was a gathering cloud of black smoke. Upon further inspection however, he could feel that there was a familiar dark presence that it had brought into the room.

He knew what it was.

Drago sighed as he stood to his feet, approaching the shadowy smoke with slow but large footsteps that echoed throughout the wide and open throne room. At first, there was no movement from it. It merely floated in place like a fog in the woods, surrounded by a haunting ambience. However, as soon as the warlord halted in front of the smoke, it suddenly disappeared…

And then from all around, the room began to shake, and in a flash, the shadow immediately reappeared in the form of a black storm cloud as chaos lightning loudly rumbled from it like thunder. After a moment passed however, the room soon ceased its shaking.

The warlord looked up at the shadow that dwarfed him, and was quick to give _him_ a bow.

"Master," said Drago, as his voice echoed throughout the large room. "I assure you that the defeat at Votunheim was only a setback. I already have a larger force marching on the elven realm of Nordell. They will reach the city in less than two weeks."

**"I do not care for your failures or excuses, Drago," **calmly spoke Maldragor, his voice booming louder than the roar of dragons. **"All is to continue as planned, but be warned that the Wings of Midgard are growing in power. Six have been reunited, and yet one is still to be discovered. The remaining Wing must not awaken."**

"But what about the fury that Haddock unleashed?" asked Drago, now more aggressively. "If he figures out how to master it along with the other Wings, they will become as powerful as their ancestors! It will mean the end of us! We will-"

**"It will NOT mean the end of us, servant," **the Dark Master interrupted, speaking back at his underling. **"When I am free, the descendant of Horren and his companions **_**will**_** be annihilated from existence. I will rain down fire and lightning from the skies, and I will light this world ablaze in chaos... for they will know the true power of a god."**

**"...But until then, the war continues, and when the time comes, you will march south to the leyline, where you will set the circle of conjuration and summon me back into this pitiful world. The final ritual will be done."**

"But what of the Wings of Midgard?" Drago asked once more. "How shall we handle them for the time being?"

Maldragor let out a booming chuckle, which to Drago's shock, sent shivers down his spine.

**"I already have plans to take care of them," **the Dark Master answered.** "But it is not you who will handle them, rather it shall be my most powerful servants. By their black steeds, the wickedest of the dark vikings now ride forth."**

**"The Four ride forth."**

As Maldragor spoke those words, it was then that the great doors to the obsidian citadel from down below began to open, and from the fortress, four dark vikings rode forth, garbed in black robes and dark plated armor as they galloped atop large war steeds.

And as they rode, they bolted at an unnatural speed...


	41. Through Cold And Snow

_**Four**** days later…**_

Hiccup's foot and prosthetic landed down upon the snowy brown grass beneath him as he dismounted from Toothless and squinted his eyes, looking up ahead from where he and his friends stood.

He gave a light sigh, letting out a cloudy breath of warm air.

For days they travelled across the vast lands of Southern Valnr - from the east to the west, flying over its plains, hills, and highlands, all while avoiding any and all orcish outposts that were set up across the landscapes.

But as they journeyed on further and further, the weather became colder and colder, and the skies turned cloudier as winter came ever closer from each passing day.

Eventually, they even managed to cross the river that ran down southwards from Aesilgard and into the ocean, making their way into the west of Southern Valnr.

And now there they were.

Hiccup and his friends stood atop a hill, overlooking the view that now before laid them. Their eyes now fell sight upon the vast forests that stood in-between them and the elven realm of Nordell, which was two to three days' flight.

"Is that it, then?" asked Hiccup, turning his head back to Arn, as he too dismounted from Toothless.

"That's it," he nodded. "Within those woods lies the town of Daneshire, one of my tribe's main settlements. And beyond it, Nordell - now only a few days away... Though if we can, we should stop by at Daneshire to get some rest for the night. There's an inn we can stay at, and from where we are, it should only take until dusk for us to reach it."

Hiccup looked back down at Toothless with a look of wonder, and asked, "Do you think your wings can continue flying us?"

_"Unfortunately it's a no-go," _crooned Toothless as he shook his head, replying in Dragonese. _"My wings feel exhausted and sore - almost like I've been carrying your dad around all day. I need to take a rest."_

_"Same here!" _immediately replied Stormfly, catching Hiccup's attention as she squawked at him. _"I think it's fair that you riders give us dragons a break from this flight. We've been flying for more than half the day without a break - longer than usual. Can't you see how tired we are?"_

_"She makes a good point," _nodded the Night Fury. _"We don't usually fly for this long without a rest."_

While Stormfly and Toothless continued their talk, the Nadder's rider, Astrid, could not ignore the contact that was seemingly happening between both the two dragons and Hiccup, and soon enough, she noticed the other dragons joining in as well, as if it were a discussion.

"What are they saying?" she asked Hiccup.

"They want to rest," he answered her. "They're tired from the flight, and want to take a moment to recover their strength. I say we should do as they ask. Let's make camp."

"Whoa whoa whoa- hold on! This is just going to slow us down!" complained Snotlout. "I'm telling you, their wings can last all day! We can't just-"

"Our dragons' health is more important than ours," interrupted Hiccup, turning his gaze onto Snotlout. "Remember the time you nearly lost Hookfang? That was a result of overdoing him for days."

_"He's not wrong. You nearly killed me that day, muttonhead," _responded Hookfang in Dragonese, as he spoke gnarly and rough.

"Either way, my word is final, and as your chief, I say we let them rest," demanded Hiccup, as he proceeded to gesture with his hands for the riders to get down from their dragons.

"Everyone dismount, and someone, please see to it that we get a fire going."

"I have spare wood packed under my saddle," nodded Fishlegs. "I'll get right to it."

One by one the riders hopped off their dragons, and slowly, they began to settle, all while Fishlegs set down the remaining spare wood that he had, knowing that he required all of it to make a fire.

As soon as every stick and branch was placed, Fishlegs lowered his brows and sharply snapped his fingers, immediately conjuring a spark of flame as it flickered on his thumb like a candle, and like so, he leaned his hand in and set the pile of wood ablaze.

"Ah…" he sighed, feeling the heat touch his skin. "This'll keep us warm for a bit."

As such, the group then proceeded to sit down around the fire, keeping close to it and allowing its warmth to relieve them from the coldness of the wintry weather. Even the dragons, despite having extremely hot bodies, laid close by the fire.

However, only Hiccup remained away from it.

The lad now stood alone as he continued looking over the hill, gazing down towards the forest while also keeping his brown furred cloak close to block out the freezing weather.

The only ones who seemed to notice him were Astrid, Fishlegs, and Arn, all while Snotlout and the Twins became lost in their discussion of who-knew-what.

"Why doesn't he sit with us?" asked Astrid as she gave a concerned look.

"I think he's pondering about the battle that's coming to Nordell," responded Arn, crossing his arms as he looked over his grey furred mantle towards Hiccup. "Maybe he believes that Drago will show up at the battle. Maybe he believes that he'll finally be able to get his revenge after what he did to Stoick. Though I can't be certain. I simply don't know."

"Do you two think Drago will show up at Nordell?" asked Fishlegs, glancing between both of the blonde vikings.

"Don't know," they both replied in unison, to which Astrid added, "Though I think one of us should go up and talk with him, just to make sure he doesn't get too lonely."

"How about you, Astrid?" asked Fishlegs. "I mean, you're his girlfriend after all."

"True," she nodded. "I honestly need to keep that in mind, because everyday that this war rages on, I seem to slowly forget."

To that, the lass then proceeded to stand to her feet, wiping the snow off of her white furred cloak as she silently made her way over to Hiccup, still pondering away at his thoughts.

"Hey Hiccup?" she called out to him. "I was wondering if you would maybe like to have a chat. Just to…"

To Astrid's surprise however, the lad did not seem to react to her. She knew now and well that he was deep in his thoughts, and upon making her way to his side, she went silent. At first, all she did was remain like that, all the while looking out over the distant forests, just as Hiccup did...

...But when she finally made a sound, it came not in the form of a word, but of soft humming, and then it began to slowly turn into something more as she started uttering under her breath, until her words became louder and louder. Soon it became clear what she was doing.

She was singing. Astrid Hofferson herself began softly singing.

Within just a mere few seconds of hearing the melody, Hiccup's eyes turned away and landed onto her, yet the only response he could give upon the sight of her smoothly harmonizing was a light gasp, to which his jaw nearly dropped.

_"Through oceans of cold,"_

_"Through stormy seas, I fly…"_

_"The winds of the South blow,"_

_"To the North we come to unite."_

_"Until the darkness lies still…"_

"Astrid..." he began. "That sounded amazing... Why didn't you tell us you could sing?"

The lass chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "I wouldn't necessarily say that_,_ but… I have been doing it in my personal time for a while."

"What are you talking about?" asked Hiccup. "The last time I heard you sing was on Melody Island, and you were awful. But this…"

"Hiccup…" she sighed. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Sure it is!" called out Tuffnut from behind, and as the two turned around, they saw the entire group staring back at them, particularly towards Astrid.

"Seriously Astrid, why didn't ya tell us you could sing?" asked Ruffnut, leaning back against Barf and Belch. "You and Arn could've sung a duet!"

"Hel, why don't you sing us another one?"

Astrid's eyes widened with embarrassment as her cheeks began to slightly blush. "No- I couldn't-"

"Come on Astrid, don't be embarrassed!" chuckled Fishlegs. "If it makes you comfortable, we can wait!"

"I could always play my lute while you sing!" said aloud Arn, holding up the instrument that he had brought along as he plucked the strings in a joking manner.

Now Astrid definitely felt awkward. The lass stood there frozen whilst being stared at by multiple pairs of eyes, even from the dragons, as they all expected her to sing. What was she to them? She was no bard or minstrel. She was a viking! Why out of all people was she to do this?

_'...Though then again,'_ she thought to herself. _'Vikings do tend to sing during dark times like these… and the others did seem to like it. I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a go.'_

To that end, Astrid cleared her throat, turning her gaze to stare back out at the forests that laid yonder. From there, a moment of complete silence passed as the anticipation from everyone grew, and soon enough, Astrid began her tune. It was a song every viking knew.

She sung,

_"When the viking charged, in to fight headlong, with my blade at their side, they then sang a song…"_

_"And when the fight began, the clashing of hordes, the army of evil, swarmed down with their swords…"_

_"They came after me, through the bloody raid, clashing with my axe, and dulling my blade,"_

_"While I fought alone, one against hundreds, a viking came forth and, roared like the thunder!"_

Out of the sound of her singing, the noise of a lute could be heard as Arn began to play along with the melody. As he did, Astrid then sung,

_"Pass an ale to your viking, oh taverns of Midgard, oh taverns of Midgard!"_

_"Pass an ale to your viking, oh taverns of Midgard!"_

For a moment Astrid paused, giving herself a moment to recover her breath. After all, she was no minstrel. But before she could continue, another voice started to sing. It was Arn's.

Through the loud playing of his lute, he then sung,

_"From the winter's rise, he fought the mighty war, waging all over, like the anger of Thor…"_

_"He cut through their flanks, shattering their ranks, pushing them back to, from whence they came!"_

_"That's his legend told, from the tribes of old, making the evil frail, now POUR HIM some ale!"_

_"Pass an ale to your viking, oh taverns of Midgard, oh taverns of Midgard!"_

_"Pass an ale to your viking, oh taverns of Midgard!"_

_"Oh pass an ale to your viking, oh taverns of Midgard, oh taverns of Midgard!"_

_"Pass an ale to your viking, and sing him a song!"_

As the last lyric was sung, and the last string on the lute was plucked, everything came to a silence as the two blonde-headed vikings looked at each other with approved smirks on their faces, whilst everyone remained speechless from their bard-like performance.

It was as if they walked into a viking hall and watched a band of minstrels playing and singing their sagas and melodies.

"Wow…" said Hiccup. "Now _that's_ something else. How about another one, milady?"

…

* * *

Hours passed by after the vikings and their dragons flew off once more, and soon dusk fell upon the world of Midgard. Snow began to fall from the skies as Hiccup and the others approached the wooden gates of Daneshire, which stood closed before them.

By foot they approached the entrance to the Alsworn village, running out from the cover of the woods with their dragons by them, and their furred cloaks tucked close.

"So what now?" asked Astrid with her hands gripped onto her risen hood. "How do we get in?"

"Usually people just knock and ask the gatekeeper to let them in," replied Arn. "But I don't want to be the one to do it. I can't let them know I'm here."

Hiccup arched a brow, asking, "Why not?"

"Because then I'll get swarmed by dozens of people asking me where in Midgard I've been. Have you forgotten who their future chieftain is?"

"Well, I can't argue there," Hiccup nodded. "If it makes you uncomfortable, then I'll do it. But before I do, I must ask, will the villagers be disturbed by the sight of our dragons?"

Arn shook his head. "Not at all. Riders from Aesilgard pass through this village all the time, by dragon, horse, and sometimes even gryphon. Along with that, there are stables for people's mounts if they want to stay the night."

"Either way, we're good to enter."

"Looks like we're in business then," said Hiccup approvingly. "Everyone group up behind me, and make sure to cover Arn. It's about time we get out of the snow."

And thus the riders and the dragons did as such, lining up behind Hiccup while making cover for Arn so that the gatekeeper would not recognize him.

The auburn-headed viking then stepped forward, and with a firm fist, he knocked hard thrice on the gate.

At first, no response came. Only silence. But after a small moment passed by, the gates began to swiftly open, cranking against its metal hinges until it was fully unbolted.

A large blonde-bearded man came walking out; a guard who wore a plated horned helmet over his head, as well as armor that was similar to Arn's, but not as well designed.

He was an Alsworn viking, that was for certain, and they could easily tell by the blue tunic and cloak he wore, and as well as his gear, for it consisted of a sleeveless scale mail chestplate, along with leather boots and leggings, and a grey furred mantle to help with the cold.

But despite his appearance, Hiccup knew that the guard was there to talk, not to be stared at.

The gatekeeper gave a glance at each of the young vikings, including Arn who stood behind them, though he was unable to recognize him. Then, his eyes gazed towards their dragons, and he suddenly raised a brow.

"Young travellers," he began. "Why do you come before the gates of Daneshire with dragons? What is your business here?"

"We're heading for the town's inn," said Hiccup.

"The inn?" asked the viking. "Why? You aren't bandits, are you? I do not recognize the armor you and your companions wear."

"What-? No! We're not bandits! We only wish to stay for the night," immediately replied Hiccup, shaking his head. "And that's all we want, so stay out of our business."

"All right, all right," nodded the gatekeeper. "Take it easy, lad. I merely had to be sure you weren't a bandit, or even a mercenary working for the orcs. Times are dark and tough, and we must be careful."

"Regardless, you may come through!"

As such, the Alsworn viking then made way for the group, gesturing with a hand for them to enter through the gates, and one by one, they all went through, all without the guard recognizing Arn, who still kept his head down.

For a moment however, he _was_ able to recognize the Alsworn armor that the lad wore, but instead of questioning it, he was quick to shrug it off, believing that it was just him seeing things again.

"I swear, too many strange-looking travellers have been passing by as of recently," the man muttered. "It's getting me delusional..."

Soon, the gates shut behind Hiccup and the others, and the group was finally in.

From there, they began their walk through the snowy yet colorful streets of Daneshire - with their dragons tagging along from behind, passing by hut after hut, all while Arn, being the guide that he was, gave directions for Hiccup and the group.

Meanwhile, the folk they passed by along the roads, both being guards and villagers, did not seem to mind them or their dragons. It was just as Arn said. The townsfolk did not mind having the presence of dragons around them. However, Hiccup was surprised that no one questioned him and the others like the gatekeeper did, nor give them the look.

After all, they wore unfamiliar gear to the populace, did they not?

Regardless of the happenings around them however, the group eventually managed to stumble upon Daneshire's three-storied inn. Upon first glance, the young vikings could already hear loud chattering and cheering coming from inside the inn, along with the sound of tavern music roaring through its walls.

Then there were the stables that stood next to the inn, tall and overlooking, and surprisingly, empty. To Hiccup, the structure looked like a mix of both a regular stable, and a dwarven gryphon aviary - which he had seen multiple times in books and stories, just never up-close.

Still, it would have to do.

_"Do I really need to go in there?" _asked Toothless in Dragonese. _"I want to go into the inn with you."_

Hiccup sighed as he shook his head. "Sorry Toothless, but there's nothing that I nor Arn can do. Plus, we won't be able to fit all of you in there."

_"At least it's better than nothing,"_ gargled Meatlug. _"As long as I get to sleep peacefully, I'll be fine with it." _

"Well there aren't any other dragons in there, or even horses and gryphons as a matter of fact," replied Arn. "So… I guess you six will be the only ones."

_"That makes it all the more better," _the Gronckle added.

"Well, we'd better not wait," said Astrid, glancing back at Hiccup. "And if you could let me, I'd like to go into the stables to see if the stable hand is there, just so we can get our dragons settled."

"Go ahead," nodded Hiccup.

"Just don't keep us out here for too long!" responded Snotlout, who seemed to be jogging in place. "I'm freezing like Hel here! It's too cold!"

"Well what do you expect, Snotlout?" chuckled Arn. "Welcome to the north of Midgard."

…

* * *

The warmth of the brightly lit inn hit the young vikings' faces upon making their way through the door, and what a sight it was.

In the center of the room, a great and long fire-pit crackled with burning hot flames as sparks flickered into the air like fireflies. Around it, two dozen cheerful patrons sat at their tables in comfortable high-back chairs, with furred rugs beneath their feet, mead in their mugs, and warm food on their plates, all whilst a band of minstrels from nearby were playing music for them. The drum banged, the lute strummed, the fiddle fidgeted, and the flute blew like a soft breeze.

And it was at that moment that the young vikings felt lucky for stumbling upon such a cozy inn.

"So… where should we get started?" asked Fishlegs, gazing around the large room of the inn.

"I dunno about you, but how 'bout that guy standing in the back behind that counter?" responded Tuffnut, pointing towards an aproned man that stood behind the nearly emptied counter in the back of the room, with the exception of a few people sitting by it.

"I guess that's the inn-keeper," said Snotlout with his arms crossed. "Nice spotting, Tuff. You contributed to our cause."

"Really?"

"No."

Like the young adults they were, the whole group, aside from Tuffnut, responded with low but somewhat heavy laughter as they began making their way towards the back, just as the Thorston said to himself,

"And I thought _I_ was the funny one."

As they made way across to the other side of the inn, Arn, who now stood closer to Hiccup, made sure to keep his head down, all whilst looking around to make sure that no one was watching. To his luck, he remained in the clear.

Eventually, they managed to reach the counter without catching any attention, and came forth before the inn-keeper, who seemed to be preoccupied as he washed and scrubbed through a mug.

The man had to have been in his middle years. Although he lacked any hair on his head, his bushy ginger beard was enough to tell Hiccup that he was older than the lad by maybe twenty years.

Now standing in front of the counter, Hiccup cleared his throat, and began with, "Excuse me."

The inn-keeper narrowed his head up from the mug, glancing back at Hiccup and his friends with a warm smile.

"Good evening, young lads and lasses!" he began. "How may I serve you tonight? Do you require sustenance? Or would you maybe like to sleep in a room for the night? Whatever you need, I can give! We have a lodging opened for eight tonight, and since there is seven of you…"

"Actually, that's exactly what we were going to ask," said Hiccup. "We'd like to sleep here for the night, and we'd be happy to have something to eat. My friends and I are hungry."

"Well then consider yourselves lucky tonight!" the inn-keeper chuckled. "You need only to pay half price for a room and your food, since I am serving only seven of you rather than eight. "

"That's... an odd policy," said Astrid, crossing her arms with a smirk. "But I think it's a great deal. So how much do we owe you?"

"Only twenty silver coins," he replied. "And I only need one of you to-"

"I'll pay for it," interrupted Arn, still keeping his head narrowed down as he landed a pouch of coins smack-down on the counter, catching the attention of the inn-keeper who swiftly walked over to the lad to take the small satchel.

Upon picking it up, the man raised it to his left ear as he gave it a firm shake, and after a very short moment, another warm smile appeared on his face as he knew that it was the amount he needed, thus he gave the lad a nod and a cheerful pat on the shoulder.

"Make yourselves at home!" the man grinned, before turning his gaze back to Hiccup. "Now, would you and your friends like to sit at a table, Mr…?"

"Haddock," the lad immediately responded with. "Just call me Haddock. And if you wouldn't mind, my friends and I would prefer to sit here."

"Not at all! Please, sit! I will be with you shortly, along with some mead for you - freshly brewed!"

And just like so, the group of seven grinningly made themselves comfortable as they sat in the row of high-back chairs lined up in front of the wooden counter.

But as they settled in, Hiccup asked Arn in a slightly lowered voice, "Where on Midgard did you get that kind of money?"

"Ragnar gave it to me before we left Votunheim," the lad answered. "He said that he owed my father silver after he defeated him in a bet, but he was never able to give it to him, especially since he passed away shortly afterwards on that same year he owed him. And so, he gave it to me, more-so as a gift."

"What was the bet about?" asked Fishlegs curiously.

"You don't want to know. Best you guys just forget about it."

From there, the young vikings sat and waited for the inn-keeper as he went around the counter serving other patrons that needed to be served, and after a bit of waiting, the man finally came walking towards them, carrying seven mugs by their handles within the grip of his hands.

True to his word, they were filled with fresh mead.

"Freshly brewed, as promised, Haddock," he smiled, as he placed down the mugs of mead one by one in front of the young vikings. "Now, is there anything in particular that you lads and lasses would like to eat?"

"Anything that has meat in it, really. Nothing specific," responded Hiccup, to which the rest of the gang nodded in agreement.

"Then how about our renowned meat-pies?" the inn-keeper asked. "Eat one, and you'll be well-fed for the rest of the night. What do you say?"

"Sounds good," Hiccup nodded. "Meat-pies it is."

"Excellent," the man grinned. "Enjoy your drinks. If you need a refill, call on one of my assistants. I will be back shortly."

As the inn-keeper walked off into the scullery, Hiccup and the others proceeded to pick up their mugs, and for a moment, they all gazed at one another in silent embarrassment.

"I… guess we do a cheers?" asked Astrid.

"Eh. Why not," said Hiccup, raising up his mug as his friends quickly leaned in for the cheers, and as their drinks met, the lad said aloud in Norse, "Skol!"

"Skol!" the others repeated as they loudly clanged their drinks in unison, before proceeding to take sips from their mugs.

The Twins however downed their mead in one gulp.

"Holy Odin, slow down!" said Astrid warningly. "You guys are going to get drunk if you gouge down your drinks like that."

"We know," said Ruffnut with a grin. "And that's the best part!"

"_Definitely. _And that includes waking up with a hangover and feeling like dragon dung," Snotlout replied sarcastically as he put a fist against his temple. "Can't you two think for once before you decide to do something stupid?"

"Hey, we're not about thinking. We're about action," responded Tuffnut, gazing back at Snotlout with a slight hint of a glare. "Plus, I think it's boring. I prefer destroying something rather than reading a stupid book-"

"Okaaay guys," interrupted Hiccup, spreading his arms outwards. "Let's calm down before we get out of hand. We're supposed to enjoy this night, not go on starting fights."

"It's probably just the hunger," stated Astrid. "We haven't had a proper meal for days. But I agree, we should take it easy."

"Well then," sighed Arn. "If you guys are really impatient, you can always tell stories to each other while we wait for our food. It can be about anything, really, and it'll make the time go by faster."

"We used to do this kind of thing on Dragon's Edge all the time… I like the idea," happily nodded Hiccup. "Who wants to go first?"

…

* * *

From the North, they came, riding hard and fast.

The hooves of four large horses galloped heavily as they rode south through snowy rolling hills and plains, carrying riders whose appearances gave off nothing but a presence of dread to any who were unfortunate to cross their path. For the riders that rode forth were the Dark Master's most terrifying servants.

They were the Four.

Their black war steeds hastily cantered at a speed that was too fast for any normal horse to ride at, for it was unnatural, and it was through the use of dark sorcery that made it at all possible.

But as the four dark vikings caught view of the vast woods that separated them from their prey, they came to a complete halt, and peered at the sight of the forest with their menacing gaze.

And true to the word, they were menacing.

From head to toe, blackened steel-plate armored and shaped their horrifying juggernaut figures - making them appear even bigger than a normal man, whilst from the waist downwards, dark robes flowed freely, covering their legguards and boots. Like every other dark viking, the Four also wore horned helmets that secluded their faces, masking their identities, and preventing anyone from seeing who they really were, for the only one who knew was the Dark Master that they served.

And the lord of the Four knew it well. It was why he was chosen and given such great power, and why the horned crown he wore atop his head was _his_ crown.

And he would see his master's will be done.

As his green-lit eyes turned to glance back at his three followers, whose eyes glowed teal, crimson, and purple, he unsheathed his black blade and let out a loud and piercing screech that echoed for many yards around, causing his large war-steed to let out a demonic whine.

_"Hsss! Let our presence be known in these woods, servants..." _he said commandingly, his bulky voice sounding with authority. _"Hunt them all down, and do not stop until they have fallen to darkness. The Dark One does not want them to leave these forests alive…"_

_"They will not escape us," _the crimson-eyed rider replied. _"We will see it done…"_

And thus the Four all let out their loud, demonic, ear-bleeding screeches in unison, before proceeding to gallop onwards to begin the hunt on their exposed prey:

The Wings of Midgard.

* * *

**If anyone is wondering and has this thought, yes, the second song that both Arn and Astrid sung were inspired by, Toss A Coin To Your Witcher. I thought it would be a nice reference!**

**But both songs in this chapter as a whole were inspirations from LOTR. After all, who doesn't love the amazing trilogy? :P**

**Regardless, I hope you enjoyed.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	42. On The Run

**After being busy for more than a month, I have FINALLY returned to you all with another chapter!**

**Before starting off however, I would sincerely like to apologize for such a long wait. College came earlier than I imagined, and as a result, I have been working my butt off in order to keep up. Eventually however, I found a moment in my schedule where I could begin writing out this chapter, and as such, it has led to this.**

**Either way, I hope this chapter is not too bad, and I hope you guys like it! I promise that I will try to release the next chapter as soon as possible!**

**Please sit back, and enjoy!**

* * *

_**THUD!**_

"OOF!"

Hiccup let out a heavy gasp as he felt a startling thud slam against his bed, awakening him from his peaceful slumber.

Although the sun had not yet risen from it's nightly cycle, the early morning still came once again to the world of Midgard. Yet in the midst of the silent room, something, or rather someone, slammed into Hiccup's bed, disturbing him from his sleep.

After being startled by the sudden impact, Hiccup immediately sat up from his bed and looked forward, only to see Toothless standing at the base of the bed.

The lad gazed back at the Night Fury with a curious yet exhausted look. "T- Toothless? What are you doing here? How the Thor did you get into the inn-?"

_"I busted my way through the door. But now's not the time to chat," _Toothless growled in Dragonese, as if he were on alert. _"As random as this sounds, we need to get up and get out of here, RIGHT NOW."_

"Wha-? The sun's not even up yet!" quietly exclaimed Hiccup. "Wh- What in the world is going on Toothless? What's gotten into you?"

_"It'd take too long to explain. We need to-"_

"Tell me quickly, then!" interrupted Hiccup, raising a hand out to the dragon. "It seems all too random for you to just come in here in the middle of the dark and tell me that we need to leave. So stop rushing, and just tell me what the Hel is going on…"

The black dragon exhaled warm air from his nostrils, shaking his head in irritation. _"Listen... There's something out there in the woods. I don't know what it is, but my dragon senses heard it from a mile away, and it woke me up in seconds. Whatever it is, it's now headed our way."_

"Can you at least tell me what you heard?" asked Hiccup.

_"The first thing I heard were hooves galloping. You know- like the ones on a horse, and they were riding fast and heavy. But… they sounded large... too large… and look- I know I'm a dragon, and that I don't know much about horses, but trust me, I know what I heard."_

_"However, then there was something else. It was faint, but that was the kicker that had my adrenaline going… I heard a-"_

_**"HSSS!"**_

The sound of a loud and horrifying screech instantly filled Hiccup's ears, startling not just him, but as well as his friends who slept all around him, and like so, it was enough to wake them up from their slumber almost immediately.

"WHAT THE THOR!?" gasped Fishlegs, swiftly sitting up as he looked back at his surroundings with intimidation in his eyes.

"Ugh… that was so not cool, sis!" grunted Tuffnut, glaring back at his sister who slept on another bed nearby.

"What the Helheim are you talking about!?" the lass exhaustingly huffed. "That wasn't me! Sounded more like a dying chicken if anything!"

_"It's outside the north gates. I can sense it," _crooned Toothless. _"There's no time. Get geared up, and meet me outside near the stables. We need to leave this town as soon as possible, and get as far away from here as we can."_

To that, Hiccup watched as the Night Fury swiftly charged out of the room, making his way down the dimly lit hallway until he was out of the lad's sight.

Upon looking back at the other vikings however, Hiccup could see the confusion and terror that was glued on their faces. They had no idea what was happening, nor what that horrifying sound was.

"Hiccup…" said Astrid. "What was that noise? Wh- What is even going on!?"

"I'll explain it to you all once we get out of here," the lad replied. "Get your gear on, and prepare to fly out. We can't stay here any longer. It's not safe."

"Oh come onnnn," whined Snotlout. "It's not even dawn yet! Can't we just-"

"Not another word," interrupted Hiccup through slightly gritted teeth. "Unless you don't want to know what that sound was, then shut up and listen to-"

_**"HSSS!"**_

"AHHH!" screamed Snotlout, nearly falling off of his bed from the startling screech. "Okay! Okay! We can go! I don't wanna stay here! You happy!?"

"Finally, something we can agree on, Snotlout," said Astrid as she hastily threw her furred blanket aside and quickly stood to her feet, wearing only her red tunic and leather leggings as she swiftly made way to a nearby chest where they had locked away their gear.

"Well?" she said, looking back at the others. "What are you guys waiting for?"

…

* * *

The vikings wasted no time after they had geared up and gathered their weapons. As soon as they were up and out of the inn, they quickly made haste to the stables, rallying up their dragons as they mounted up and flew their way out of the town of Daneshire, as swiftly and quietly as they could.

None of them dared to look back, even after the town was out of sight. They did not want to think about what it was that was waiting outside - possibly for them, for they feared the worst.

Yet even during the hour that had passed by after their departure, the thought of what it could have been did not escape their minds. They simply could not stop thinking about it.

"I don't understand..." sighed Arn, sitting behind Hiccup. "What even was that screech? I've never heard such a scary noise in my life!"

"Mind finally giving us some insight, Hiccup?" asked Snotlout, staring at the lad from atop Hookfang. "I think we deserve to know."

"There's not much to say, but I'll tell you what I know," replied Hiccup. "When I woke up from my sleep, I found Toothless standing at the end of my bed, talking to me in Dragonese and telling me that something was headed our way, and that we needed to get up and get going. I asked him what it was that was coming our way, but his description was… a bit vague."

_"Hey! I told you all I could, you know!" _huffed Toothless.

"I know, I know…" whispered back Hiccup.

"Well… go on, then. What did he say?" asked Arn.

Hiccup let out a sigh. "He was unsure what it was, but he told me that the first thing his senses picked up were the sounds of hooves galloping. Like the hooves of a horse. But he also told me that they were far too large for a regular horse. Whatever that screech was, I don't think it was a horse."

"So then who made that sound?" asked Fishlegs, to which Astrid, who flew nearby atop Stormfly, gave a questioning look back at the Ingerman.

"I think the real question is, _what_, made that sound."

"Let's hope we never find out," said Snotlout. "I don't want to go back there."

Hiccup shook his head. "Well the good news is that we won't. Whatever it was that made that screech, it didn't feel right to me at all."

"It sounded- wrong… like it was demonic and tormented… and haunting. Almost as if it was unnatural."

"Uhh… unnatural?" asked Tuffnut. "Pfft, please. We use magic! We can fart fire and whip out lightning. Ain't that unnatural?"

"Technically that's _supernatural._ Though whatever that was, it could've been supernatural as well, for all we know," answered Fishlegs. "Again, we don't know what it was back there that made that screaming sound."

"Let's not worry too much about it," said Arn, gazing off at the distant horizon. "The worst is behind us, and the dawn lies ahead, so let's just enjoy our moment of relief."

"Uhh… are you trying to be some sort of gandálf or something?" questioned Ruffnut, staring at Arn with an arched brow. "I mean- where the Thor do you see the sun? All I see is dark, and night, and… dark… Now- don't get me wrong, I know the difference between sun and moon, but I don't see the sun, ya know? In fact, I actually don't see the moon either."

"Maybe Sol and Mani were finally eaten?" asked Tuffnut.

"Nah, bro! It's behind the clouds!" his sister replied.

To his irritation from the annoying twins, the blonde-headed lad immediately replied in an exclaiming manner, "Just look to the west!"

As Arn uttered those words, everyone's eyes turned west, and in the distance, the light of dawn appeared on the horizon. From behind the wintry clouds, the sun's glow slowly filled the sky with a dark blue colour, all while the pale moon set into the east like a sinking ship, and as time went on, the sky became brighter and brighter.

True to the lad's words, the dawn of the next day finally came...

"Ohh…" responded Ruffnut, before adding on with, "So that _does_ make you a gandálf?"

"RUFF!" screamed Arn.

The only response after that was a unison of laughter from Hiccup and the riders as Arn sat in silence, holding a hand over his face.

_"Odin's sake…" _he replied in a muffle.

"Well," chuckled Hiccup. "Now you know the stuff I've had to deal with for the past seven years from the Twins."

"Yup," quietly nodded the blonde lad. "Dumb and dumber... Yay me."

From there on, the group continued their flight with only slight conversation, and as their travel went on, the sun found itself higher and higher into Midgard's sky, like a kite flying up amongst the winds and clouds.

For several more hours, the flight went on without any interruption, until the young vikings eventually caught gaze upon a small empty opening, which laid deforested of any trees, save for a few snowy bushes and logs. To Hiccup, he saw it as a perfect place for rest. After all, only vast forests surrounded them for miles around.

The rolling plains and hills may have been one thing for the lad and his friends, but long distances of woods in all directions were another. Searching for an ideal location to camp was not easy for where they were, and thus, the distant opening would have to do.

"Time to make up for the sleep we lost," spoke the young viking tiredly. "Let's make camp!"

…

* * *

The burning flames brightly crackled as the seven vikings sat against the bulks of their dragons around the fire, all of whom laid down, slumbering in the snow like calm infants in a cradle.

Yet even though the dragons could sleep, the vikings themselves still remained desperate. The feeling of dread would not leave them, and the wondering thought of what made the demonic screech back in Daneshire still lingered in their minds.

"I can't sleep…" groaned Ruffnut, dropping her head back against Barf and Belch. "Why can't I sleep?!"

Tuffnut tossed his sister a tiring glance, gazing at her with bags under his eyes. "It's not just you, sis. That goat-demon-monster-thing still gives me the creeps too. If it finds us, I can only hope for Valhalla."

"Orrr... we could just do what we did before," yawned Fishlegs. "Run."

"Mhm? And how do you suppose running is going to help?" asked Snotlout, stubborn and irritated with his arms crossed. "That thing is just going to find us again! I say we should fight back the next time it comes."

Arn sighed, shaking his head in a lazy manner as he sat up from laying against Toothless. "Snotlout, we don't even _know_ if we're going to see it again. For all we know, we could have outran the damn thing. Can't you just-"

"Guys, can please we not?" interrupted Astrid, gazing back at the others. "The more we argue about this, the more time we waste. Sleep is what we need right now, and if we continue like this, then it'll take even longer for us to reach Nordell."

"As well as less time for the enemy to reach it; and before we can warn the elves," added Hiccup, gazing up at the sky with his head laid down against Toothless. "Every second counts."

"I would sleep if I could," replied Fishlegs, rubbing his eyes with his hand. "But the thought of that screech- it just…"

"I'm as anxious as you are, Fishlegs," nodded Astrid. "But we need to think of a way to get this out of our minds entirely. Maybe a story?"

"Storytime?!" gasped Tuffnut, as if he were an overexcited toddler. "Yes!"

"I think a story would definitely help in this case," agreed Hiccup. "Question is, who's going to tell it?"

"Why not let Arn do it?" suggested Snotlout. "He always has a story up his sleeve."

"Gah, why am I always the one telling the story?" asked Arn.

"Cuz your stories are interesting. Duh," replied Ruffnut. "Now are you gonna tell one or what?"

"I... guess I could," the lad nodded reluctantly. It was clear that he was not heavily in the mood. "What do you guys want for a story? It can be anything in particular. Past, present, legends…"

"Why don't you tell us about Valnr's past?" asked Astrid. "Surely this continent wasn't what it was back then, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," he responded, causing everyone slightly to lean in at attention, as well as with interest as Arn turned his gaze to the fire, and after a few seconds, he began to speak...

...

_"Hundreds of years ago, Valnr was once a frozen wasteland. The whole continent was a barbaric place where dozens of viking tribes warred against each other for battle and conquest, and only the strong ruled. It was either kill or be killed, and if you couldn't lift an axe, then an axe would be the last thing you'd ever see before being cut down."_

_"On the snowy plains of battle, it wasn't unusual to see thousands of armored and fur-wearing vikings running to their deaths, with large mammoths and dragons riding on behind them. Everywhere was chaotic…"_

_"To fit the harsh environment, the warring tribes called the continent Isjörth, or "the" Isjörth. It means Icy Land in Nordic, and it was true to the name. Crops were impossible to grow in its cold weather, thus the only option in getting food was through hunting and scavenging, as well as raiding."_

_"For many years, massive conflicts between the tribes continued all over the continent, until one tribe had had enough of it, and sought to end the tribal wars. That tribe was my tribe; the Alsworn..."_

_"It was said that a man came down from the north beyond the Obsidian Mountains, joined the tribe, and became their chieftain shortly afterwards. He convinced the entire Alsworn that there were other ways of survival aside from war, and that through peace, they could get stronger. It took some time, but through his words and influential actions, they denounced their old bloodthirsty chieftain, and agreed to follow the man as their new leader."_

_"However, even with their new chieftain, the tribe couldn't end the fighting just like that. Back then, the Alsworn had only a few hundred in their ranks, and so the chief came up with a plan to fight all of the tribes one by one. The Alsworn would start with the smaller and neighboring tribes, easily dismantling them. Yet at the same time, there was a catch to the chieftain's strategy of divide and conquer."_

_"He stated that any who surrendered would be offered a place within the Alsworn, and over the course of his campaign, more and more vikings were absorbed into the tribe, and to their surprise, the subjugated vikings found the Alsworn better than their former tribes."_

_"Eventually, the Alsworn grew so large that they were able to take on the bigger tribes of the Southern Isjörth, leveling their fortresses as they were easily dominated. Soon enough, the Alsworn tribe numbered in the thousands, and together, they prepared to assault the last tribe that stood in their way. The Viking Horde."_

_"As such, the Alsworn tribe, with their combined might, marched on the Viking Horde, eventually making it to their citadel - a mighty structure that towered over the same location where Aesilgard stands today... And what followed was a huge siege battle that lasted for nearly a week."_

_"Thousands died in the siege, but eventually, the great stone citadel was breached, and as the Alsworn tribe swarmed the stronghold, the high chief marched to the throne room and cut down the tyrannical yet cowardly leader of the Viking Horde, before bringing down the citadel itself with the might of hundreds of dragons, all of whom were freed from the other tribes that had enslaved them."_

_"After destroying the citadel, the chieftain of the Alsworn banished all of the survivors of the Viking Horde beyond the Obsidian Mountains, into the Northern Isjörth. He swore that should they ever return, he would hunt them all down. Reluctantly, the Viking Horde remnants agreed to the terms and fled north, splitting off into separate tribes."_

_"With the tribes of the Isjörth now absorbed into the Alsworn, there were no longer any enemies to fight, and under their chieftain's guidance, an era of peace followed in the South. For the next one hundred years, the Alsworn grew and developed. They built up the viking city of Aesilgard, advanced their civilization, and even began learning the early stages of magic through their first group of mages; shamans."_

_"But then the light elves and dwarves came, and everything changed…"_

_"Surprisingly, it was revealed that the two groups had actually landed on the continent on accident. The hundreds of elves and dwarves that arrived here wanted to find homes away from the rest of their kinds, as well as to form their own kingdoms, but they never anticipated on finding an icy wasteland... or even finding each other as a matter of fact."_

_"Eventually, the Alsworn figured out about their landing, and thus invited the two races over to Aesilgard. For months, the elves and dwarves settled with the tribe, and overtime, both races began sharing their secrets with the Alsworn vikings. The dwarves showed them how to further advance their technology, and taught them the ability to tame gryphons, while the elves taught them how to use stronger forms of magic. They even introduced them to the language that would change it all between man and dragon. Dragonese."_

_"Eventually, the racial bond between the three races grew so close that they soon became allies, and as such, the elves and dwarves wanted to repay the Alsworn vikings for their hospitality. The dwarves promised the tribe great riches beyond their imagining, but the elves had other plans…"_

_"As you know, the elves are called 'light' elves for a reason. They are the only race specialized in light magic. As such, the elves went all across Southern Isjörth, and started channeling rituals of powerful light magic into the earth and sky, altering both the land and the weather itself so that life could finally bloom."_

_"And after a year went by, the snow finally began to melt…"_

_"Life began to grow all across the south of the continent, and the weather had begun to get warmer. For the first time ever, the season of spring came; and with it, the ability to grow crops."_

_"In response to the kindness of the elves and dwarves, the Alsworn allowed the two races to pick any land they wanted to settle in to call their own, and as such, the elves went west to build the realm of Nordell atop the cliffs, while the dwarves went north to mine out the kingdom of Dalgard within a lone mountain."_

_"The Isjörth was no more. Valnr was now born…"_

…

"...Hundreds of years later, the three races would also discover votun wandering in the southeast of Valnr," said Arn, turning his gaze from the fire. "But that's a story for another time... So, what did you guys think?"

Yet as he turned his head to face the other vikings, the only response he was given were the sounds of snoring coming from the Twins, and the sight of the group finally sleeping with their eyes completely shut.

"Well then…" exhaled Arn, leaning back against Toothless as he stared up at the cloudy day-light sky. "Looks like they got bored. Guess I'll just have to tell them the story again… when we have time."

A long moment of silence followed as Arn sat there with his back and head still leaning against the Night Fury, all whilst Hiccup, who laid next to him, quietly snored.

The blonde-headed lad tried closing his eyes so that he could allow the feeling of sleep to take him over, but as minutes continued passing by, he found himself still wide awake, not feeling the need to fall asleep, and thus the young viking became slightly irritated.

"Gah," he grunted, immediately opening his eyes. "This is ridiculous. I should be sleeping, and yet my body doesn't want me to? Hm. Maybe I should just take a walk until I get tired, even if it takes me an hour or two, I'm not going to sit here and do nothing."

As such, Arn was quick to stand to his feet, wiping himself off of any snow as his eyes gazed back at the fire.

"Let's see if I can make myself a torch…"

* * *

**Before ending this chapter off, I would like to point something out to those who may have caught eye of this:**

**You guys may have noticed that I dropped the word _gandálf_ a couple of times in this chapter. In Norse Mythology, gandálf means magic/staff elf, just like how ljósálf(ar) means light elf and dókkálf(ar) means dark elf. Each of these words ends with álf, which means elf in Norse.**

**Regardless of that however, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	43. Black Blades

**Hello all! I am finally back with another chapter, so I hope you have your reading belts buckled! :)**

**I am not going to say much for this starting A/N, so before we begin, I would like to point out that there is bound to be a cliffhanger in this chapter, so for some of you, what you are going to see may be unexpected!**

**Either way, I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

A cool breeze from the chilling air blew against Hiccup's face as the lad slowly began opening his eyes, feeling the cold dryness within his mouth. Although he was uncertain for how long he slept, he was at least no longer exhausted.

His mind felt clear, and his body rejuvenated. It was time to wake up.

As Hiccup sat up, the lad glanced back at his surroundings and immediately noticed how foggy the environment around them had become, near to the point where he could not see the trees that surrounded the opening they were in.

_'Why is it so foggy…? Is it maybe because of the cold?'_ he thought to himself, now wrapped up in his furred cloak.

However, the next change that Hiccup was quick to notice was the campfire. Though still lit, the flames had died down to a dim light, which was hardly enough to keep them warm. Yet at the same time, the fire itself appeared to have been dabbled with.

"Did someone mess with the fire while we were asleep?" he asked himself, now speaking aloud. "Maybe it was Arn. I'm pretty sure he was the last to go to-"

As Hiccup turned to his left however, the lad saw that the spot where Arn had previously laid in was now empty. The Alsworn heir was nowhere to be found.

"Wh- Where the Thor did he go?" he said questioningly, once again looking back at his surroundings before turning his gaze onto Toothless, who laid slumbering on his stomach, lightly snoring.

The young viking then gave the sleeping Night Fury a shove as he said in a soft voice, "Hey! Wake up!"

_"Hm?"_

Toothless gave off a mumbled croon as he slowly opened his eyes to gaze back at whomever it was that bumped against him, and upon seeing that it was Hiccup, the black dragon sighed before letting out a long dragon yawn.

_"Did you really have to wake me up now? I was in the middle of a good dream, you know! I dreamt that I was flying with other Night Furies!"_

"I wouldn't wake you up if it wasn't so important," the lad replied, once more staring back at his surroundings as if on alert. "Arn is missing. I think he may have walked off."

_"You 'think'?" _questioned Toothless. _"I mean- anything could have happened to him you know, though let's say he did walk off. Maybe he lost his way back?"_

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't care. Whatever the case, we're going out there and we're going to look for him."

_"If you say so. But what about the others?" _

"I've got to wake them up as well, but I won't bring them along. This search is going to be a one-man one-dragon job. Just you and I."

Toothless let warm air escape his nostrils in another sigh. _"Greeeaaat."_

As such, Hiccup then turned to face the sleeping riders, leaning towards them as he spoke aloud in a louder voice, "Everyone, wake up. Wake up!"

Although it took a very short moment, the riders groaned and yawned as they slowly opened their eyes, and in a flash, all five of them quickly sat up, awakened, yet to Hiccup's surprise, he even managed to wake up the other dragons.

"Gah…" sighed Snotlout as he stretched himself out against Hookfang, who let out a draconic yawn. "Did you really have to yell? Couldn't you just wake us up more gently rather than having to yell 'wake up'?"

"We're not kids, Snotlout. Have you forgotten that we're in the middle of a war? If we need to get up, then we get up," Astrid noted, staring back at the Jorgenson. "Either way, I've had plenty of rest."

Fishlegs nodded in agreement. "Same here."

"Now then," said Astrid, gazing with her eyes towards Hiccup's direction. "If I may ask, why exactly now are you waking us up?"

"Arn's not here," replied Hiccup, glancing down to his left where the lad initially sat. "I woke up and found his spot next to me empty. I fear that he may have wandered off and gotten himself lost. As such, Toothless and I have decided that we're going to go find him… alone. You guys will be staying here."

"Did you really just wake us up so that you could tell us this? You act as if we're in danger!" exclaimed Ruffnut, to which her brother added,

"Yeah! We have dragons y'know!"

"Would you or the dragons be safe if someone were to silently come up to you while you were sleeping and give you a knife in the dark?" questioned Hiccup, now crossing his arms. "Remember what happened in Daneshire? Were it not for Toothless, who knows what could've happened to us."

"Hm. You make a good point," nodded Astrid. "But what's to say that _thing_ will show up again?"

"What's to say that it won't?" said Hiccup in response. "As long as we're here on this continent, there will always be danger around us. Almost nowhere is safe from the eyes of the enemy. Who knows if they know we're here…"

"Please don't give me the creeps," shuddered Snotlout. "It's bad enough with the fiasco we're in, with whatever that demon-monster-thing is that's on the loose, and this fog makes me feel uncomfortable."

"I wouldn't call it a demon, Snotlout. We don't even know what it is yet," sighed Astrid. "Either way, we'll keep a lookout while you're gone, _high_ chieftain."

"Do you really have to call me high chieftain? It's bad enough that the light elves and the dwarves call me that."

Astrid chuckled, smirking back at Hiccup. "I know. I just find it funny seeing you get annoyed."

"Careful what you wish for, milady," Hiccup replied grinningly. "Now, if you guys have nothing else to say, then I'll be off. Keep yourselves warm, and stay safe."

"You too," nodded Astrid.

"Oh and… make sure to relight the fire," the lad added, before spinning to face Toothless as he asked, "You ready, bud?"

_"Always."_

…

* * *

"How much longer do we need to be here?" asked Snotlout as he wrapped his cloak tightly around himself. "It feels like hours have passed by."

"Snotlout, it hasn't even been an hour," stated Astrid, warming her hands against the campfire. "If that were the case, the fire would have already died down - but it's still blazing."

"She's right," nodded Fishlegs. "It hasn't been that long since Hiccup left, so calm down, alright?"

Snotlout grumbled, crossing his arms. "Well it feels that way to me..."

Ever since Hiccup had left the campsite to the riders, the air around them had started to get colder. They could feel it. As time went on, the fog became slightly denser, and the atmosphere around them felt a little more eerie. To Snotlout however, the lad felt excessively uncomfortable. Almost as if they were being watched.

"If that demon-monster-thing shows up," began Tuffnut, "Then I'll give it a flaming spear right up it's rear-end until it stops screeching like a damn boar!"

"Oh- and then you can do the same, sis, but with lightning."

Ruffnut snickered as she held up her spear, slamming the base of it into the snowy ground as a small spark of stormy magic suddenly snapped from the tip of the weapon. "When that happens, it's gonna be a good show!"

"That is if it doesn't break your spear before you even manage to hit it," stated Fishlegs, gazing back at the Twins. "You two completely smashed up your weapons when we fought that golem on the Island of Tomorrow. Though if I recall correctly, you use to wield a mace, Ruff."

"Yeah, I did," nodded Ruff. "But I soon realized that bigger ain't always better, and so I got myself a new spear like Tuff did. The good thing is that they're both made out of Gronckle iron."

"Hopefully you two will learn to take better care of them than you did with your previous weapons, then," lectured Astrid. "And try not to waste them on any jötnar. Especially you, Tuff. Remember how you nearly lost your spear to that giant back in Votunheim?"

"Pfft, yeah yeah," replied Tuffnut, waving off Astrid's lecture. "Though I can't promise that I won't throw it at any orcs or trolls."

"Me too," his sister added.

"Just as long as it isn't risky," nodded Astrid. "Agreed?"

"...Fine," they both replied in unison.

"But every twelve orcs we kill with a spear-throw is a pint of mead," added Ruffnut.

"A pint?" questioned Fishlegs in slight shock. "Both of you are going to get drunk after drinking just two!"

Tuffnut let out a chuckle. "Heh, that's the best part, Fish!"

"Oh Freya…" sighed Astrid.

As the vikings continued rambling on with their discussion, the dragons, who sat near their riders, looked back at one another with curious looks, questioning the group's strange conversation.

_"Why would anyone want mead for every twelve orcs slain?" _asked Meatlug, glancing back at the other dragons.

_"I believe it's tradition for those two fools to do that," _commented Stormfly with a squawk. _"It kind of sounds like a bet..."_

_"Tradition? Hah, now that's funny. But just so you know, the Twins don't really give a yak about bets nowadays," _replied Barf with a draconic chuckle. _"They'll make these bets left and right, and then forget about them the next day."_

_"Are they really that brainless?" _asked Hookfang, to which Belch responded with a laughing nod.

_"They're still bad at counting too. Can't even keep track of ten seconds."_

_"I bet we can make up a better bet than those two muttonheads," _commented Meatlug, to which the other dragons expressed confusing gazes.

_"Uhh… Are you making a bet over making a bet?" _asked Barf.

_"What-? No! I'm just saying that I think we can make a better bet than them!"_

_"Ohhh! You could've just said so," _gargled Belch in laughter. _"Who wants to go first, then?"_

_"I'll go first," _huffed Hookfang as he straightened himself out, clearing his fiery throat with a quick huff. _"And my bet is that the fire will die out before we leave. If it does, each of you will owe me three large salmon, and you'll have to catch them yourselves."_

_"Don't be ridiculous, Hookfang," _squawked Stormfly. _"We just lit it up not long ago."_

_"Hey, it's a bet. If I lose, no harm no foul, you won't have to do anything. Does that sound good to you all?"_

Just as Hookfang spoke those words however, the brightly lit campfire, which crackled and sparked with its warm orange flames, suddenly blew out in a flash, like a gust in the wind, leaving only the cold northern air to envelope them…

...Except it was not put out by any wind or breeze, but rather by itself. As such, everyone's eyes fell to it, staring with baffled expressions.

"...Wh- What the Hel just happened?" asked Snotlout, giving the others a glance. "Was that you, Fishlegs?"

"What? That wasn't me! How could I have done that?" exclaimed the larger viking.

"Maybe one of you guys just farted," stated Ruffnut, acting as if the whole thing was some mere joke. "I bet it was you, bro."

"Ugh no way!" responded Tuffnut in denial. "I only fart in my sleep! Maybe it was YOU who put it out."

"Guys, I don't think any of us here are to blame," stated Astrid, whilst inspecting the burnt out campfire. "But something tells me that this wasn't a coincidence. It wasn't blown out by the wind, thus the question is, how does a fire put itself out like _that?"_

"...Something's wrong here."

_"Looks like I win the bet!" _laughed Hookfang. _"Each of you owe me three-"_

_"Wait!" _the Nadder interrupted, lifting her gaze from the fire. _"Is it me… or is everything getting darker?"_

The dragons all raised their heads up as they stood to their paws and feet, turning their gazes up towards the skies as the clouds above them suddenly began to darken, yet they knew not how it was possible. It was as if the sun itself was put out like a candle, and whilst this all happened, the fog around them had also started to slightly thicken.

Soon, even the riders noticed this occurrence. As such, a feeling of dread washed over them as they began looking back at their surroundings, feeling as if they were being watched.

Something was definitely wrong.

"W- What is this!?" shouted Snotlout. "What is going on!?"

_**"HSSS!"**_

As if spawned from Helheim, the demonic scream that the riders had heard back at Daneshire had once again returned, filling their ears with a cold horror that forced them to their feet. Their dragons on the other hand became frightened stiff. As such, their wild instincts had suddenly kicked in.

Without any second thoughts, the dragons turned their backs to the riders and immediately ran off into the foggy forest, not looking back as their animal-like aspects took control.

"Hookfang!" called out Snotlout. "Where are you going!?"

"MEATLUG!" bellowed Fishlegs, watching as his dragon ran off swiftly like a horse. Even if he attempted to stop her, there was nothing that he, nor the others, could have done.

They were all alone.

"Oh no, oh no…" Fishlegs mumbled to himself. "This isn't happening. This can't be happening! First it manages to find us, and now this!?"

Astrid let out a shakened sigh, gazing out towards the foggy forest as a breath of cold air escaped her lungs. "It was looking for us all of this time… but without our dragons, there's nowhere we can run."

Snotlout let out a light whimper of worry, now scared out of his wits. "I guess we're going to die here, aren't we?"

"...No," said Astrid angrily, taking up her axe as she made her way forward in front of the group, clutching it within the tight grip of her hands.

"We fight."

By Astrid's word, the rest of the vikings grabbed ahold of their weapons, making their way to her side as they fell into a defensive position, with Fishlegs and Snotlout on her right, and the Twins on her left, all at the ready.

Their gazes then fell upon the forest, where the fog seemed to be at its thickest. For a moment, nothing seemed to come out. The air only began to feel colder and colder by the second as the vikings waited to see what it truly was that stood behind those woods. Soon enough however, the sound of metal stomping against the snowy ground finally caught their ears, and from the distorted trees, they caught eye of the nightmare.

_**"HSSS!"**_

Four pairs of glowing eyes came into their view - colored green, crimson, purple, and teal. Along with that, the young vikings were able to make out the shapes of four juggernaut-like figures, large and tall, steadily advancing upon them in tight formation, as well as perfect unison.

But upon getting a better look, the vikings all felt a squeeze of intimidation run down their throats.

The four juggernauts were armored in black heavy plating, as well as garbed in robes that extended from the waist downwards, and by their sides they carried dark runic blades, of which they glowed with runes matching the colors of their cold, wicked eyes.

Whatever they were, Astrid and the others knew now that they were no demons, for their horned helms gave it away.

They were dark vikings. Horrific and terrifying dark vikings, unlike any they had ever seen...

As the four blackened warriors came to an abrupt halt, the group took several steps back from their nightmarish foe. They became filled with a mix of fear and defiance, but they were reluctant to even make the first strike.

Astrid on the other hand still stood her ground, refusing to let fear take hold of her. For years she had upheld the title of Fearless Astrid Hofferson, and she intended to see it kept through.

As such, the warrior took ten steps forward, letting the juggernauts know that she was not intimidated by them…

"You stand before the Wings of Midgard, dark vikings," she spoke, keeping herself steeled. "If you think we're afraid of you, then you're terribly mistaken."

The four dark vikings looked back at one another. To them, they viewed her words as nothing but a joke, and yet it did not matter, for they already knew who she and her friends were.

The green-eyed dark viking stepped forward, and almost immediately, Astrid made the assumption that he was their leader, for the top of his horned helm was shaped like a crown.

But when he spoke, she felt as if her walls came crashing down. The fearlessness that enforced her now began to fall apart.

_"Hsss! You fool…" _spoke the Lord of the Four. _"We can see through your eyes. You attempt to stand tall and fearless, but do you not see the torment that fills your friends' faces? They have the right to be afraid because fear is what we are, and even now I can feel your own fear taking hold of you, Astrid Hofferson."_

Astrid's face went pale upon hearing him say her name. She let out a gulp and proceeded to take a step back, glancing between the dark vikings and their leader. "W- Who are you...?"

_"We are the Dark Master's greatest servants. By many, we are known as the Four, but you will not live to remember us."_

The Lord of the Four raised his runic blade to meet the front of his right shoulder, gripping the hilt with both of his gauntleted hands, and as such, the other three dark vikings had done the same as they marched into formation, with two flanking their lord and one positioned behind him.

With slow pace, they steadily began advancing onto Astrid.

The lass shuddered, taking several more steps back as the Four came closer and closer. Being a Wing of Midgard, Astrid decided that she would have to fight them off from a distance with magic, but she knew not how powerful these dark servants of Maldragor were.

"If you want to kill me, you'll have to fight me first!" she shouted, raising her left hand out as she prepared to cast a fiery spell towards the Lord of the Four…

...But to her surprise, nothing happened. Not a single spark of flame lit up in her palm, and it seemed that no matter how angry she tried to get, she could not cast a single spell. She even resorted to casting storm magic instead, but she could not think straight. Her mind was filled with fear, and upon attempting to cast forth a bolt of lightning, nothing seemed to happen.

She could not cast any magic…

"Guys, I can't cast anything!" Astrid called out to the others. "Help me out!"

"I- I can't cast anything either!" replied Snotlout as he too attempted to summon up lightning, but saw no success. The same went with Fishlegs and the Twins, who could not summon up any form of fire or storm.

The Wings of Midgard were rendered magicless.

"What do we do!? Oh gods, what do we do!?" cried Fishlegs, now on the verge of falling apart.

Astrid raised her axe. "Everyone get close to me! NOW- HNGH!"

But before she could finish, the Lord of the Four swiftly raised out his left arm and summoned up chaos magic from the palm of his hand, the same magic that his eyes glowed with, and through some strange force he pinned her to the ground, making the mighty Hofferson fall to her knees.

"W- What are you doing!? LET ME GO! HELP!"

Upon hearing Astrid's cry for help, the others attempted to run towards her, but they too found themselves quickly pinned down, this time by the rest of the Four, whose hands glowed with magics that matched the colors of their eyes.

But despite having the same effect, they were magics that the young vikings did not recognize...

With no obstacles in his way, the Lord of the Four swiftly advanced towards Astrid, lowering his runic blade to the side whilst also keeping her pinned down with his chaotic magic. All that the others could do was watch helplessly, for in truth, there was nothing that they could do.

Astrid looked up with horror as the dark viking halted in front of her, gazing down at her with his blade now raised to the side as she struggled heavily to resist.

"Freya! Please! Help me!" she whimpered as for the first time in her life, she knew what it was to fear. In that moment, she was no longer Fearless Astrid Hofferson.

_"No one can help you now, Hofferson. For you, only a slow death awaits," _the Lord of the Four uttered, swiftly raising back his sword, and with precision, he stabbed the tip of his blackened blade into the side of her chest.

Astrid Hofferson screamed. It was no roar, but a literal scream. She screamed louder than she ever had before, crying out in pain as the runic blade that impaled her began glowing with chaos energy, almost as if it was draining her, for it was the most agonizing pain she had ever felt in her life. For nearly half a minute, she did not stop screaming.

...But then, she heard it.

"GRAAAGH!"

Hiccup's voice let out a bellowing roar as the young viking came flying out of the woods with Inferno lit, lunging himself in front of Astrid and taking the dark vikings by surprise, forcing them to back into a defensive position, while also breaking the spell that held the others down. But as soon as they lined up, two more figures suddenly jumped out from the forests. This time, it was Arn, with his torch still in hand, and Toothless, who let out a screeching roar.

The two made their way to Hiccup's side, and as they did, Toothless let forth several plasma blasts that struck on the flanks of the dark vikings, setting fire to nearby bushes and tree stumps that began blazing like big bonfires.

_**"HSSS!"**_

The Four let out their piercing demonic screams, gazing angrily back at Hiccup with their backs to the woods.

"Go back to the shadow, dark vikings!" yelled the young viking. "You have no place here!"

_"You fools!"_ the Lord of the Four roared. _"This is only the beginning between us! When next we meet, it will be WE who will-"_

"Oh shut up already!" shouted Arn as he swiftly rose his torch and sent it flying with a strong flick of a wrist towards the Lord of the Four, hitting his crown directly as flames bursted through its eye-holes, setting the dark viking aflame from beneath his armor.

_**"HSSS!"**_

The other three dark vikings quickly backed away from their leader, not wanting to be touched by the searing flames, and as such, the dark warrior fled into the forest, leaving his servants to gaze back in shock at Hiccup, Arn, and Toothless.

"Touch my friends again, and you will get the same!" exclaimed Hiccup, swinging his flaming sword around threateningly. "NOW BEGONE!"

_"Hsss! This isn't over! We will return!" _screeched the teal-eyed dark viking as he and the rest of the Four turned their backs to the group, making their retreat back into the foggy woods.

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief as they disappeared from sight, to which he then sheathed his sword. But the sudden sound of whimpering and crying brought him back to reality as he turned around to see the others gathered around Astrid, who laid on the ground in severe pain.

"H… Hiccup…" she said weakly, breathing heavily for air.

"Astrid!" he gasped as he, Arn, and Toothless immediately made haste towards her, and as soon as the lad was beside her, he knelt down to his knees, softly placing his right hand upon her cheek. But upon feeling her, his eyes immediately widened.

"She- She's gone cold..." he said, glancing back at the others. "What happened to her!?"

"She was stabbed in the side of the chest," replied Fishlegs frantically. "I don't know what kind of sword it was, but it had runes on it."

"She was stabbed by a runic blade," sighed Arn, motioning towards the wound. "Dark vikings and orc warlocks wield them to drain the life out of people. Only they could make such a wound like this. If we don't tend to her soon then there's a possibility that she may die."

"What!?" gasped Hiccup, his voice suddenly beginning to crack. "A- Are you telling me she's dying!?"

The blonde lad shrugged his shoulders. "I said it's a possibility, but I'm not certain yet. I need to see if I can tend to the wound, as well as determine how bad it is. Fishlegs, are you familiar with making potions and antidotes?"

"I am, but- what about our dragons?" asked Fishlegs. "The dark vikings scared them off."

"We'll find them soon," replied Arn. "For now, healing Astrid is our main priority. I have an idea of a potion that we could make, but I can only pray to Odin that this will work…"

Hiccup sighed lightly as he stared back at Astrid, gently running his hand across her cheek.

"Hold on, Astrid. You're going to be okay- I hope…"

* * *

**Before closing off, I would like to make one more quick note.**

**Some people have pointed out that the Four seem to be like the Nazgûl from LOTR. To an extent, they are heavily inspired by the Nazgûl, but as you have read from this chapter, you can see the big difference when it comes to their appearance as they are more of armored hulks of a warrior rather than just ghostly robed riders. So to those who were curious, there you go! :)**

**Either way, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	44. The Only Chance

Time had passed since the Four were driven back. The cloudy skies above them were brightened once more, and the fires caused by Toothless had died out to the cold.

But even then, that did not change the fact that Astrid was still in pain, and at the same time, she had grown too weak to speak.

With a vial spared from his satchel, Fishlegs was able to brew her a tonic made from fréybloom and alf's foil, both of which he had scavenged from the woods - all whilst Arn furtherly inspected the stab-wound.

But as time passed, the antidote seemed to have no effect. Her skin remained pale, and her eyes began lacking their light-blue color.

As Hiccup rested his hand over her forehead, he realized that she was still cold.

"I don't understand… w- why isn't it working!?" he asked stutteringly.

Arn sighed as he lifted his eyes from the wound, gazing back at Hiccup, Fishlegs, and the others who surrounded her. "It's too severe. The wound has blackened, and the space around it has gone extremely cold. Even though the antidote has given her more time, I'm afraid there is nothing more we can do. She is dying…"

"What!?" gasped Fishlegs.

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Ruffnut. "After all we've been through… it ends like this!?"

"T- This can't be happening..." said Hiccup, his voice lowering to a softer tone as he felt his eyes begin to water. "I can't lose her, Arn. She's all that I have left aside from my mother. Astrid is the love of my life, and no one can replace her. If she dies…"

The young lad paused. He sighed once more as a tear ran down his right cheek. Dread was all that he felt within his mind and heart. Was the one that he truly loved really about to die? What would his life be like without her? After all that they both went through together, was this really meant to be her fate? Was he to lose her?

Unless...

"...No."

The lad uttered but one word under his breath as he rose his head up with his brows lowered, to which the others gave him questioning stares.

"No what?" asked Snotlout.

"I'm not letting her die on me," responded Hiccup, wrapping his arms around her as he stood to his feet and gently picked her up, hastily carrying her over to Toothless.

"What are you doing?" asked Arn.

"I'm taking her to Nordell," the lad replied as he mounted Astrid on top of his dragon's saddle. "The light elves are known for making medicines that can save people even from death. If I can reach them in time, they'll be able to save Astrid."

"How do you know about this? How do you even know they can save her?" asked Fishlegs. "The remedy they would need to heal her would have to be powerful."

"Lornduil himself told me about this after we formed the Alliance. It was during one of our private discussions. And I can assure you, they have it."

Arn gave a light exhale as he shook his head with disapproval. "You're crazy! Nordell is more than a day away! You won't be able to reach it in time!"

"Toothless flies faster than you think," Hiccup replied, gazing back at him. "Watch me."

…

* * *

Hiccup was uncertain for how long he had been flying. Was it for hours? Half the day? Whatever the case, what he knew now was that he was no longer flying above heavy woods, but over lightly forested plains.

As Toothless continued flying as fast as his wings could allow him, the coldness of the weather was beginning to pick up as the familiar northern chill blew against his face.

_"How will we know when we've arrived?" _loudly asked Toothless, enough for Hiccup to hear over the passing wind.

"From what I remember from the maps, Nordell overlooks a valley from the cliffs. Where there's a valley, there's bound to be mountains surrounding it! As long as we can get there before dusk, we'll be able to save Astrid! Something tells me she won't survive much longer!"

_"I'm flying as fast as I can, Hiccup! My wings were not made to go as fast as lightning!"_

"You're doing your best, bud! Just keep at it!"

With inspiration from his rider's words, the Night Fury continued flying faster than the speed of the wind, all the while Hiccup held his arms around Astrid, who sat in front of him, nearly unconscious. Her face had become paler than the color of snow, and her weight was unnaturally light. The Lord of the Four's runic weapon had done more damage to her than Hiccup had expected…

But that would not stop him from saving her. The antidote had given her more time to live, and he would not see it go to waste.

At the same time however, he wondered what it would be like once they reached the elves' capital as he had never truly seen an elven city before.

It was said that they built towers that dwarfed even the tallest evergreens… that their keeps and palaces were grander than any other, and that their trees glowed with the light of stars in the night.

Perhaps when Astrid was healed, the two of them could spend some time alone to admire Nordell's wonders…

As the young viking continued imagining these thoughts, nearly losing himself, a voice suddenly called out to him, bringing him back to reality.

_"...Hiccup?"_ asked Toothless. _"Are you alright? You look like you're dozing off!"_

"I- It's nothing," sighed Hiccup, shaking his head as he cleared his mind of his thoughts. "Why do you ask?"

_"You might want to keep your eyes peeled! My senses are picking up a familiar presence, and whatever it is, it's not good!"_

Hiccup blinked as his adrenaline began to slightly kick. He gazed around at his surroundings, keeping watch of anything that seemed suspicious to the eye. What could it have possibly been that had caught Toothless's senses? More importantly however, why?

As Hiccup thought about the possibility, a familiar dread suddenly fell over him as the air around him began to feel uneasy. He knew this presence, and as the air suddenly became colder, it hit him. Yet the question was, how was it even possible?

"It can't be…"

_**"HSSS!"**_

The scream echoed like a bat's screech. Hiccup turned his head to look back, and from behind, he spotted a flying lone figure, whose black juggernaut appearance and runic weapon was all too recognizable, as well as the green glow in his eyes.

It was the Lord of the Four.

As unexpecting as it was, what shocked Hiccup the most was how the dark viking flew, for he was flying atop his _horse._ The great black steed galloped through the air like a ram riding over mountains - speeding fast, refusing to let up as if it were hunting down prey for its master.

And Hiccup was the prey.

Eventually, the Lord of the Four began to close in on the rider and his dragon, maneuvering his horse to gallop closer to the two as if it were a race. His intentions however did not involve riding ahead of them.

_"Is that one of the dark vikings we faced earlier!?" _questioned Toothless, tilting his head to the right to face the juggernaut.

"Y- Yeah…" the lad nodded frantically, gazing at the blackened warrior with widened eyes. "Except that's their leader!"

Hiccup was uncertain what had drawn the Lord of the Four to follow him, but whatever the case, he now feared the worst for Astrid. Had the dark viking come to finish what he started with her? If that was so, then he would _not_ allow it.

_"Hrrgh!" _the juggernaut growled. _"Did you really believe that I was going to leave you so easily, Wing of Midgard? I told you, I would return."_

"H- How are you even still alive!?" the young viking asked, baffled. "You should've been burned to a crisp!"

_"Alive? Foolish boy… what lies beneath this bulk of armor is neither living nor dead! You cannot kill what has already died! If your pathetic Wings of Midgard already knew that the moment they laid eyes on us, they would have rightfully fled. Instead, they allow one of your own to die."_

"She is not dying today. And nor am I!" shouted Hiccup as he swiftly unsheathed Inferno, gripping it within his right hand as he angrily set the blade aflame with the use of his fiery magic.

_"You will die with her either way," _the Lord of the Four uttered. _"And once you both die, your five remaining Wings will have to wander alone!"_

Hiccup's heart started beating faster. For a moment, it felt as if his world paused upon hearing that number. Five. Had he misheard that?

"Y- You're mistaken!" he exclaimed. "There's only six of us!"

_"Is there now?" _the dark viking said questioningly. _"Have you ever wondered where your seventh Wing of Midgard was? All you merely had to do was look over your shoulder to see the truth…"_

"You're a liar!"

_"Hmph, call me a liar all you wish. Unfortunately for you, none of that matters. For now, you will die..."_

As such, the Lord of the Four swung his runic blade at Hiccup, to which the young viking quickly responded with a rough but swift strike against the weapon, forcing the black warrior's sword to recoil back towards him as a result of the strong fiery enchantment.

From there, the two warriors clashed into combat, and the fight began.

After landing his first blow, the Lord of the Four continued his attempts at striking Hiccup, but even with the effort, the lad's counters simply kept on repelling back the dark viking's blade. The flaming enchantment around Inferno was more powerful than what the juggernaut had anticipated, for it felt as if someone equal his strength was reflecting his weapon back. As a result, he could not find his mark.

At one point, Hiccup had even managed to parry one of the black warrior's attacks, striking at the armored gauntlet with a downward cleave, to which the Lord of the Four looked back with shock. To the lad's surprise, he could even see a hint of frustration in the warrior's eyes.

_"Do you truly believe a few spins and parries with your blade can stop me, Haddock?" _questioned the dark viking. _"You only delay your own death. Even if you were to attack me with all of your might, your strikes would not make a dent."_

"I could keep this up until we get to Nordell," responded Hiccup, attempting to mock the dark viking. "Then we'll see how you fare against the elves' magics, which I honestly doubt you would be able to handle!"

Further seeking to taunt the juggernaut, Hiccup raised his fiery blade, and this time, _he _was the first to strike. In response to his move, the dark viking clashed with the lad, and as the two blades struck, they became trapped in a weapon-lock, thus both combatants began pushing against one another.

But the Lord of the Four was vastly stronger, and as such, he made quick effort into breaking the lock as he pushed Hiccup back, nearly causing him to drop his sword.

With the lock broken, the young viking readied himself once more as he anticipated a counter strike. But to his surprise, the blackened warrior made no such move.

_"Hahaha…" _the Lord of the Four laughed, slowly sheathing his sword as he suddenly began creating distance from Hiccup and Toothless, and yet his steed continued galloping on their right.

Both the young viking and his Night Fury looked confused, but before they knew it, the dark viking raised out his left hand and gave it a mere flick, lighting it aflame in chaos fire.

_"If I cannot pierce you, then mayhaps magic will indeed rectify this... Burn in chaos fire!"_

"Oh Odin…"

As if throwing a rock, the dark viking launched a ball of chaos fire towards Hiccup and Toothless, and as it came closer, it quickly began expanding, becoming the size of a boulder.

"LOOK OUT TOOTHLESS!"

The Night Fury let out a gasp. Upon seeing the great ball of green fire, the black dragon maneuvered his wings to the left and bolted to the side, forcing the spell to miss, but barely.

_"Hsss! You cannot dodge my spells forever, Wing of Midgard! You and your Night Fury will burn!" _

Once more, the Lord of the Four raised out his hand and casted forth another ball of chaos fire, and as such, Toothless maneuvered to the right, causing the spell to once again miss. This time however, the Night Fury was better prepared for the attack.

Hiccup glanced back at Toothless, all whilst he continued bolting out of the way of the dark viking's attack. "We need to strike back at him! Get me in closer! Let me cast a-"

_"No!" _Toothless objected. _"That will only make it easier for him to hit us! Let me take the reins, and I'll show this dark viking what dragonfire can do…"_

"Are you sure about this?" asked Hiccup.

_"Are you doubting me?" _chuckled Toothless with a warble. _"That dumb brute fled after letting his guard down to a torch! If hitting him with a torch counted as something, then so will my flames! Like this!"_

Like so, Toothless set his eyes onto the Lord of the Four. His gaze immediately turned into a glare, and with a powerful huff of his breath, the Night Fury fired out a charged plasma blast towards the dark viking, hurling at a speed that was nearly as fast as the wind.

But to the viking, it was not fast enough.

With a strong pull of his reins, the black juggernaut rode his steed out of the way of the Night Fury's plasma blast, all before responding with an attack of his own - once more in the form of a spell. To Hiccup's shock, the Lord of the Four suddenly began casting forth bolts of chaos lightning, aiming them down onto Toothless as if it were coming from a literal thunderstorm.

Despite the difficulty of dodging the dark viking's wicked spell, Toothless remained determined to keep Hiccup, and as well as Astrid, alive. Through his senses, he dodged bolt after bolt of the green lightning, but not without returning fire to the Lord of the Four, and through some miracle, he had managed to even strike twice against both the horse and the fell warrior himself.

But to his surprise, the damage was minimal, for he had only managed to leave burns on the armor of the black horse and his rider.

Between Toothless and the dark viking, the two continued exchanging their blows, but as time passed on, Hiccup soon began to notice mountains quickly rising over the horizon; mountains with snow atop their peaks, and with distant woods waving on them like hair blowing in the wind. But as he squinted his eyes, the realization dawned upon him as to what he was staring at.

For beyond those mountains laid the elven realm of Nordell. He was certain of it.

"Look! Up ahead! We're almost there, Toothless!" said Hiccup, filled with confidence. "Just keep on flying!"

_"Grr… I'm getting sick of this dark viking! I can't let him continue following us!" _replied Toothless. _"I'm going to have to drop you two off somewhere safe, then it'll just be me and him!"_

Hiccup blinked as he stared at the Night Fury with uncertainty in his eyes. "What-? You can't be serious! Do you even know how powerful he is!? You could get-"

_"I've faced dragons the size of mountains!" _the dragon responded with certainty. _"I won't let a servant of some so-called dark lord beat me! If I must use my alpha form to take him like I did with the Bewilderbeast, then I will!"_

_"Now hold on tight! This flight is about to get intense!"_

Without any choice, Hiccup grasped his arms tightly around Astrid as Toothless stretched out his wings, almost as if he were preparing to take off, and with a great flap, the Night Fury stormed past the Lord of the Four as if flying at the speed of a lightning bolt. But as such, the large dark viking did not take it too lightly.

_**"HSSS!"**_

...

* * *

It did not take too long for Toothless to catch up with the towering mountains, and upon closing in, his eyes fell onto a hilly patch of forest with an opening, along with a small stream that ran down it. It was a suitable spot.

_"Perfect,"_ the Night Fury said to himself, and like so, he flew down towards the opening, making a swift landing by the stream.

_"Get off. Quickly,"_ he said, motioning with his head for the lad to dismount, to which Hiccup quickly unhooked his prosthetic and swiftly jumped off of the Night Fury's saddled back.

As soon as he was dismounted, Hiccup's arms reached out for Astrid, wrapping them around her as he slowly and gently proceeded to pick her up. Upon lifting her however, he immediately noticed a change in her weight. She felt noticably lighter, almost as if she were as light as a feather, and that only meant one thing.

Time was running out...

As Hiccup laid her by the stream, the lad took a small handful of water and sprinkled it over her face. "Hold on, Astrid," he said as a cold breath of air escaped him. "You're going to be okay."

_"How is she?" _asked Toothless as he calmly approached Astrid, who was now completely unconscious.

"She's not going to last long," the young viking replied. "I just hope the elves can save her in time. They have what we need. I know it."

_"Well, we can't keep her out here for long. If she gets pneumonia from this weather, then we're going to have two issues to deal with."_

"But what about the dark viking?"

_**"HSSS!"**_

The familiar demonic screech coming from the Lord of the Four reverberated in Hiccup's ears upon mentioning him, and as he looked back from where they stood, the galloping figure of the armored black juggernaut and his flying warhorse became noticeable. It became clear that the warrior had not given up the chase.

The young viking's gaze fell back onto Toothless. "You can handle this, right?"

_"Like I said, I've taken on dragons as big as mountains! I will destroy that thing before it can reach us!"_

With a confident posture along with a determined glare on his face, the Night Fury sprinted towards the center of the opening, gazing up at the dark viking who violently rode his horse faster than before, as if he was desperate to finally deal with Hiccup. It became clear that the juggernaut had had enough...

...But so did Toothless, for he sought to unleash the most powerful plasma blast he could onto the Lord of the Four, and this time, they would walk away from him for good... hopefully.

The black dragon suddenly closed his eyes, and in an instant, he felt as if time itself had slown down around him, and in that moment, he allowed his mind to briefly take over.

Though he was a dragon, his thoughts worked the same way as a human. As such, he immediately found himself racing back to the day when he became the alpha of all dragons. Back to the day when his true powers had awoken. He remembered breaking out of the Bewilderbeast's ice as if it were nothing, before proceeding to unleash what felt like the wrath of the gods themselves upon the leviathan. It was a power that he could use either to protect, or to destroy.

But now he intended to use it for both.

As his mind continued racing, he felt the energy of his inner fury begin to fill him. From his spine to his head, a blue glow started to form as a feeling of heat filled up in the back of his throat. He opened his mouth and began huffing out hot air, and after what felt like more than a minute, Toothless opened his eyes and gazed back at the Lord of the Four, just as the juggernaut began to close in on them.

It was time.

The Night Fury opened his mouth, letting out a loud and piercing draconic screech that nearly halted the dark viking as blue fire roared up within the back of his mouth like a blazing inferno.

His flames charged up like a crossbow loading its bolt, and after several seconds passed, he fired.

Like a meteor falling fast towards Midgard, the bright blue bolt of fire hurled towards the Lord of the Four at a speed that was near-impossible to avoid, and in the middle of the moment, the dark viking attempted to turn the other way.

_**"GRAAAGH!"**_

But before he could flee, the blast found its mark, and what followed was a bright explosion of blue fire, blinding everyone around it...

...

* * *

Hiccup looked towards the skies as soon as the blinding explosion faded. But upon gazing up at the sight, the lad saw no sign of the Lord of the Four. It was as if the dark viking was incinerated in an instant by the plasma blast. Yet the question remained, was the dark viking truly gone?

"What the Thor just happened…?" he asked himself.

Like a herd of yaks, his thoughts were rampantly running through him. But as he spotted the figure of Toothless walking towards him, huffing and puffing, the sense of reality came back to him as he approached the black dragon, baffled.

"Toothless…" he began. "What did you just do?"

_"Fired the most powerful plasma blast I've ever made, that I can say," _the dragon replied, glancing back up at the sky where the Lord of the Four previously was. _"As for the dark viking however- I know this may sound unbelievable, but something tells me that he isn't entirely gone, but rather… banished. When the explosion happened, my senses picked up a strange force that quickly came and went, but it was too bright for me to see what was happening. Still, it was stupid of him to chase us alone without the rest of his vikings."_

"Well- he's the least of my worries now," responded Hiccup, turning his gaze back to Astrid as he hastily made his way towards her, before kneeling down by her side and placing a palm on her forehead.

"Astrid is barely alive…"

A desperate sigh escaped Hiccup's mouth as he closed his eyes, beginning to wonder what he could have done to prevent this tragedy from happening. In his mind, he kept on repeating to himself, _'If I hadn't been such a fool, this wouldn't have happened…' _as if he were blaming himself for the entire situation.

As he was about to open his mouth to speak, the sudden snap of a twig cut him off and quickly caught his attention. As such, he immediately opened his eyes and looked up from where he knelt.

And there, he saw them…

From the forests stood eight tall long-haired figures, armed with bows. Their gear consisted of a silver colored plate-armor that they bore from shoulder to toe, along with blue cloaks that extended down to their ankles - some hooded, and some hoodless. Their eyes and ears however were what gave them away, for their eyes glowed a light blue, and their pointy ears extended outwards like the tips of spears.

Light elves…

Hiccup sighed with relief as he gazed upon them, feeling a sense of hope fill his heart and mind. One of the elves, a blonde-haired man, took several steps forward, curiously staring down at the young viking.

But the elf's gaze would fall too onto Astrid, and upon noticing the pale color on her skin, his concern suddenly grew.

"Young one," he spoke, expressing a warm tone to the lad. "Is your friend unwell? Her skin looks as pale as the wintry snow…"

"I- It's more than that. Please- she needs help..." replied Hiccup, looking back down at Astrid. "My friend is dying. She was stabbed by a deadly weapon - a runic blade, and it drained her of her life. She doesn't have long. She-"

"Hold a moment, young one- ...you mentioned a runic blade? Do you speak of those weapons crafted by the Dark Legions?" the elf asked as he immediately made his way towards the lass, kneeling down beside her as to get a closer look at her state.

"Y- Yes," nodded Hiccup. "And that's why I came here. My friends and I, we- we tried to help her, but the damage was too much."

"By the Vanir... You were right to come to us, as well as lucky. Not many people live to tell the tale of being stabbed by one of those foul weapons, but these effects are unlike most that I've seen. You must be desperate..."

"So what are you saying?" asked Hiccup. "Can you help her?"

The light elf gave no response at first. He merely placed the back of his fingers against her forehead before gently running them across it. But then he looked back up at Hiccup…

"What is your name, young one?"

"Hiccup," the lad responded. "Hiccup Haddock."

"She is not dying today, Hiccup Haddock... Come with us. We will save your friend."


	45. The Realm Of The Elves

**Before beginning I would like to say two things;**

**Firstly, if you guys like elves and Lord of the Rings, then rest assured, you will probably like this chapter! **

**Secondly, if you would like a better reading experience for this chapter, I recommend listening to some elvish music with a pair of ear/headphones. It will make the reading a whole lot better!**

**Either way, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Astrid let out a deep breath as the light of the sun shined against her face. The sound of the loud peaceful birds had awoken her like the blowing of a horn, and as a response to the sunny brightness, the lass gently rubbed her eyes as she allowed herself to adjust to it. When the moment passed, she then slowly began to open her eyes…

Though it took a few blinks, her sight eventually cleared up. As it did however, her eyes suddenly widened.

The first thing she was immediately met with was a white-stoned ceiling standing over her, and upon sitting up, her gaze fell upon the soft bed that laid beneath her, as well as the small yet cozy room that surrounded her.

She then noticed that her hair was loosened, down to her upper-back and shoulders. Along with that, she also saw that was no longer wearing her usual attire, but rather a white short-sleeved gown that stretched down to her knees.

"...Where am I?" she asked herself confusingly, once again looking back at her surroundings.

But as she glanced to her right, her eyes fell upon an arched opening that seemed to lead outside, and like so, Astrid flipped the blue silk blanket that laid over her, off to the side, and proceeded to swiftly stand up from her bed…

...But upon doing so, an aching pain suddenly struck against the left side of her chest, causing her to hiss from it. As such, the lass decided to take a slower approach, taking her time to stand.

As soon as Astrid was on both of her feet, she slowly began making her way towards the opening, wondering what she would be met with on the other side. After all, she needed answers as to where she was.

...And as she stepped through, she was met with a fancy stone balcony on the other side, overlooking one of the grandest and most beautiful views she had ever seen…

A great valley laid down below, covered in scattered green forests and running rivers, along with snow-top mountains that surrounded it all. The smell of the air was as fresh as the morning dew, and the calm breeze blew like the winds of spring.

It was perfect.

"Unbelievable…" she gasped, grinning. "It's like spring here."

"...That is because it is."

An unfamiliar voice suddenly shot up into Astrid's ears, startling her. But upon turning her head to look back, her eyes caught sight of a tall elf, geared in a silvery set of armor trimmed with gold, along with a sky blue cloak that ran down his back, and a white furred mantle over his shoulders. His long hair however was what stood out to her, for it was as black as night.

"The magics of Nordell keep this valley in an eternal spring," said the elf, slowly making his way towards her. "As such, the season here will never change, but the weather is allowed to stay itself."

"Nordell…?" asked Astrid, facing back towards the valley. "You mean- I'm in Nordell?"

"Indeed you are, Astrid Hofferson," nodded the elf, now standing beside as he too looked out towards the valley. "You stand in one of the largest cities in all of Valnr; a city with over twenty thousand people. As of right now, we are in the Tower of Healing."

Astrid raised a brow, looking back at the light elf. "How do you know my name? How did I even get here?"

"Your friend Hiccup told me about you, young Astrid. You were dying, and so he brought you here. However, you were unconscious for a whole week."

"What-?" she asked, gazing back with shock.

"You need worry not, Astrid," the elf replied, turning to face her. "We managed to save you before you could succumb. The blade that stabbed you had drained you of your life, but we managed to reverse its effects. As for the wound, it too will heal in time, but it will leave a scar on you."

"So that's why there's an ache in the side of my chest…" sighed Astrid, placing her hand over it. "But I must ask, where are the others? Where is my dragon? ...Who are you?"

The elf smiled, chuckling. "Your friends are waiting for you at the palace, and your dragon is at the landing along with the others. As for who I am, my people address me as their king, but for you, you may address me as a friend."

"I am King Elendar, and I welcome you to Nordell, Astrid Hofferson."

…

* * *

"Oh… thank the gods you're alive, Astrid."

Hiccup let out a sigh as both he and his lover embraced one another. After being given proper clothes, Elendar and a few of his royal guards personally escorted Astrid to the keep in the center of the city, and as she made her way through the wide and populated streets of Nordell, she was beyond words.

The structures of the city were unlike anything she had ever seen. Every tower and building was made out of white stone, with their tops as blue as the sky. True to the word, they were taller and grander than anything she had seen before.

Yet as large as Nordell was, to her surprise, it was not at all difficult to get around, for the city only had no levels. As such, it did not take long for her to make her way to the front of the palace, where Hiccup and the rest of the group were, waiting for her.

She sighed as her lover's arms grasped around her, all before letting out a chuckle as the two separated. "I would punch you for nearly losing me, but after all we went through, it's not worth it."

"Heh, well at least you got a new look," said Ruffnut, motioning towards the blue tunic and brown leggings that she now wore, as well as her loosened hair. "But uh- it seems very… elven."

"Yeah, but you gotta admit, the gold trims on the tunic look nice," added Tuffnut.

Astrid nodded in agreement. "I like them very much. I think I'll wear them for a while…"

"What about your old clothes?" asked Hiccup. "Don't you want to wear them again? Elendar stored them in the armory along with your gear if you ever want to-"

"Well considering all the battles we've been through, and the little protection it's given, the chances of me wearing my old clothes again are unlikely… at least for now. But I'll make sure to drop by to pick them up."

"Now that you mention it," began Arn. "Our gear has been getting battered up over the past month. I think a few of my scales on my scalemail have fallen off, and I can tell you for certain that the sleeves on my tunic have a few holes in them..."

_"Then mayhaps you should consider getting your gear repaired."_

The familiar voice of Elendar caught everyone's attention as they looked past Astrid's shoulders, spotting the elven king approaching from behind her. As such, the lass turned around, greeting him with a bow of her head.

"There's no need to bow," the elven king chuckled as he came before the young vikings. "So tell me, my friends, how are you enjoying your stay in Nordell so far?"

"It's unlike anything we've ever seen before, King Elendar," responded Hiccup. "I've read a lot of books about light elven cities- but I never imagined them like this. It doesn't match what the stories say…"

"That is because most of the light elves on Midgard tend to build their realms within thick forests. Up here on the cliffs however, it is different. Before Nordell was even here, this place was but a flat piece of land covered by grass and enchanted trees. But with the use of stone and magic, we raised a great city. That was nearly eight hundred years ago."

"Whoa. You've been around here for that long?" asked Fishlegs.

"Indeed," nodded Elendar. "Has young Arn not told you about this?"

The blonde lad shook his head with a sigh. "I was telling them a story about Valnr's past, but they were already asleep once I finished."

The elven king lightly chuckled. "Well, that isn't the first time your stories have sent people to sleep, son of Lothar..."

"...Now then, shall we go inside? There is much to discuss."

"Of course," nodded Hiccup. "Take us to the throne-room."

…

* * *

Though the sunlight emanating within the throne-room appeared as white as the clouds, the spectacle was a view to behold.

The ceiling above them was high and tall, colored in blue with a map of Valnr painted onto it, whilst the white floor beneath them was smoother than any that the young vikings had ever seen, made out of a mineral that the light elves called marble.

Meanwhile on both sides of the large room, a dozen tall pillars of white stone held up against the high ceiling, each with an elite elven guard standing before them at attention, cladded in well-made armor and royal blue cloaks, along with spears and shields in their grip.

"Intriguing, is it not?" asked Elendar, standing in front of his throne with the group gathered around him. "This throne-room has stood for nearly eight hundred years, and it still looks like how it was when it was first built…"

"...Regardless however, we have more important things that we need to discuss. During the time that Astrid was unconscious, you had already mentioned to me that the Dark Legions had attacked Votunheim, and that now, they plan to siege Nordell. However, we never truly spoke deeper on the matter, and as such, I want to know more about it as it now concerns me, more than ever."

"So tell me, what can we expect from the enemy?" he questioned, gazing at Hiccup. "I would like to hear it from you, Hiccup Haddock."

"Ah great. Battle-talk," sighed Ruffnut as she rolled her eyes. "Just what I needed…"

The young viking gave no immediate response, placing his hands behind his back as he narrowed his eyes downwards in thought, uncertain as to how the elven king would react if they were to go further into depth. Reluctantly however, he gave his response.

"An army bigger than what attacked Votunheim," he finally uttered, looking back at Elendar. "I already told you before that the orcs are spear-heading the assault, but I suspect there will be others among them. Goblins, dark vikings, trolls; you name it. Although I don't know the exact count, what I know is that their army will be large. It could be ten thousand. Maybe more, even."

The elven king came to a pause, responding with nothing at first as he turned his back to face the throne, looking upon it with a frowned-like expression, almost as if there was a seed of doubt planted within him.

"This is more troubling than I anticipated," he finally said. "I've lived for over eight centuries, but I have never felt like this. An army greater than ten thousand is too much for this city to handle. That is more than twice the realm's host. Should the Dark Legions break in, we'll be routed."

"You won't be alone in this fight, my king," added Hiccup with an assuring tone. "You still have us to aid you, as well as our dragons."

"You and your friends may not be enough, young chieftain," replied Elendar, spinning his head back to face him. "The Dark Legions are craftier than you believe them to be. Although the dwarves from Dalgard have suffered their assaults the most, we too have had battles outside of the city's gates… but not on this scale."

"It's not like they rely heavily on strategy, though," said Astrid. "From what we've seen so far, the Dark Legions, and the orcs especially, have always fought us through means of brute force."

"That is until you encounter their warlocks," responded the elven king. "They are as cunning as they are destructive with their use of chaos magic. With a mere ritual and a flick of a wrist, a few warlocks can summon up a portal for their forces to come flooding through like a tide."

"We don't doubt that, my king," spoke Fishlegs. "We too encountered an orcish warlock a while ago. They took control of a mountain troll and enslaved it in an attempt to kill us. Were it not for Astrid's lucky shot of an arrow, we wouldn't be here."

"Hm. So your friend here is an archer as well?"

Astrid shook her head. "Not exactly. I've taken a few archery lessons in my lifetime, but I'm nowhere close to being one. I rely more on my axe, and that's enough for me to crack open any orc that tries to step foot into this city."

"Your enthusiasm for fighting the enemy is appreciated, but you are not ready for a battle," replied the elven king, inspecting the lass up and down. "Your skin has not returned to its full color, and that shows that you are not fully healed. You still need a little more time to recover."

Astrid let out a sigh, nodding her head as she crossed her arms. "Very well."

"Now then," said Elendar, once again looking back at Hiccup. "There something else that I must know... how long until they get here?"

Hiccup merely shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure yet," he said unsuringly. "It could be either tomorrow or the day after. I was told that their march would take two weeks, and nearly two weeks have passed since I was given news of this."

"Let us hope our allies from Aesilgard and Dalgard arrive today, then," the elven king replied. "Their assistance will definitely make a change in this fight."

Hiccup arched a brow. "Wait- you called for reinforcements?"

"Indeed. After you and your friends told me about the inevitable siege, my concern became the best of me, thus I called for a discussion with Arn. After coming to an agreement, we both sent out letters to the dwarves and the Alsworn vikings, calling for aid. Kharinz said he would send a hundred ironbeards to help us, but no more."

"The Alsworn accepted my call as well …without objection," Arn added. "They promised two hundred men as I requested, as well as a little something special that will make the orcs' lives a pain in their necks. I would've asked for more warriors, but I don't want to risk my people's safety."

"It's good enough either way," nodded Hiccup. "Besides, I believe this battle will be a perfect test to show the orcs what humans, elves, and dwarves can do united. The last time my tribe fought with them against the enemy, we dealt great damage and sent them fleeing."

"I'm afraid allowing them to retreat won't be an option," said the elven king, glancing between each of the young vikings. "If word of their defeat is given back to whomever leads them, they will continue to attack again and again, until too few of us are left to stand against them."

"We must-"

Before Elendar could finish however, the sudden slam of the doors to the throne room opening caught everyone's attention as a robed elven messenger came walking in with haste, along with two blue-hooded rangers by her side.

As both she and the rangers came before the elven king, they greeted him with a respectful bow.

"Your grace," she began. "I apologize for the interruption, but we have another visitor in our city. She arrived at the landing and claims to be a friend of Hiccup Haddock."

The dragon riders in particular immediately glanced at one another, surprised, while also hoping that she was who they thought it was. Could it be?

"What does she look like?" immediately asked Fishlegs, being the first to speak up. "Did she give a name?"

"Her eyes are as green as trees, and her hair is as black as nightfall," the messenger responded detailedly. "She wears a leather harness, as well as a set of blue-tinted armor that matches the dragon she landed on."

"She only went by one name; Heather."

…

* * *

"Heather!"

Fishlegs's excitement had bursted from the inside-out. As the young vikings made their way to the city's landing that stood along the cliffs, they soon spotted Heather by the edge of the large platform, admiring the grand sight of the green valley down below, along with the mountains around it.

But the moment she heard Fishlegs's voice, she turned around and ran into his arms.

For a long moment the two held each other, and after a minute passed by, they both separated, gazing back at one another with heart-warmed grins.

"I- I can't believe you came back to us after all of this time," sighed Fishlegs. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Fishlegs," smiled Heather, glancing at him and the others nearby. "I didn't come too late, did I?"

"On the contrary, your timing couldn't have been any better, Heather," chuckled Astrid, stepping forward as she presented herself. "It's been a while."

"That it has," she nodded as she swiftly approached the blonde viking, greeting her with a hug. "By the way, that new outfit and look suits you well. I really like it."

"Thanks," replied Astrid. "The elven king gave it to me since my old gear is in bad shape, but I think I'll get some armor to cover this soon."

"...Also, I've got to admit, you haven't changed a bit."

Heather gave a smile to the lass, warmed by her best friend's words.

After giving her pleasantries to the rest of the dragon riders, they went on to greet and hang around with their dragons nearby - including Astrid, who missed Stormfly dearly.

With the time they had, Hiccup took the opportunity to talk with Heather about the recent events, all while the riders were focused on their dragons.

"So tell me, Heather," he began, staring out at the valley with the lass. "How were you able to find us?"

"It wasn't easy, but were it not for the sheer luck I had, it probably would've taken forever," replied Heather with her arms crossed. "I flew for nearly two weeks across Valnr, going from forest to forest, mountain to mountain, and village to village, all while remaining out of sight. At first the search seemed hopeless…"

"...But then I finally found my lead."

Hiccup nodded slowly, heeding her out. "Go on."

"During a cold night, I came upon a town known as Daneshire, and I decided to take shelter at the inn there. While I was eating, the innkeeper and I had a talk, and asked me if I was another traveling viking. At first I was unsure how he even knew I was a viking, but then he mentioned that a group of Non-Alsworns passed by recently; a group of seven young vikings, heading for the city of the elves. The real giveaway however was when he mentioned your surname; Haddock."

"Hm. Well, I did tell him that," nodded Hiccup. "But I didn't think he'd remember me or the other riders. Though then again, we do stand out to the people of this continent."

"Is that why he called me a Non-Alsworn?" asked Heather.

"Indeed," suddenly replied Arn from nearby, catching her attention. "I don't think I had the opportunity of properly introducing myself, Heather. Arn Lotharsson is my name. The Alsworn is my tribe, but right now, I stand as its heir."

"A pleasure," replied Heather with a bow of her head.

"So then," continued Hiccup. "Now that we know how you managed to look for us, the question is, why?"

"It's… a bit complicated."

The lad shook his head, eager to hear her out regardless. "Don't worry. I won't lash out at you."

To that end, Heather gave a nod as she proceeded to clear her throat, before turning her head to look back at him.

"...I was sent by Gobber and the rest of the Alliance's council to look for you," she began. "They wanted me to help you with your mission, to make sure you were alive - which clearly appears to be the case. Even then, I can only assume that both them and our fleet of a thousand ships have landed on Valnr by now, considering the time that has already passed."

"...Our?" asked Hiccup. "Since when did you join the Alliance? And since when did we get so many ships…? A thousand!?"

"Since Dagur and Alvin joined it," she replied, to which the other vikings nearby immediately turned their heads, giving off surprised looks to the Berserker. When had this turn of events happened?

"Okaaay," said Snotlout. "I think I misheard that."

Hiccup momentarily glanced back at the others, and then to Heather. "Wh- What changed?" he asked. "I thought those two hated our tribe."

"Well, were it not for your mother, our tribes would've never united," smiled Heather.

"My mother?" questioned Hiccup. "I thought I asked her to-"

"Valka did the right thing, Hiccup. Were it not for her, I wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't be getting the massive help you have now… She told them of everything; the return of Drago, the orcs' true intentions, the Battle of the Island of Tomorrow, your rise to chieftain, and- well…"

"I get what you mean," sighed Hiccup, knowing well that she was referring to Stoick. "Everytime I think of what happened that day, I also think of the hundreds that died, defending their families. To this day, I try to forget about it."

"Oh…" she replied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I just need time to get over it entirely."

"Hm. Well, if you want to move on from it, allow me to show you something that I think will intrigue you," added Heather, now staring back at her dragon Windshear, who appeared to be looking out at the valley. It had been a long while since the riders gazed upon the armored-like dragon.

With a sharp whistle, the lass called forth her dragon, causing the winged reptile to go on all fours before she gladly began walking over. Upon approaching, Heather reached up for her saddle, interacting with a tight rope that appeared to be tying down a wooden box on the back of the leathery seat.

After loosening the small chest of its confines, Heather grabbed ahold of the box, picking it up from the saddle before proceeding to present it to Hiccup, who already gazed down at it with curiosity.

By that point, the rest of the vikings had also noticed the mysterious box, and thus gathered around to see what was inside.

Heather's hands were raised out as she held the bottom of the wooden case. "C'mon," she said encouragingly. "Open it."

Without question, the lad flipped the silver lock on it, before lifting up the top to reveal what was inside…

...And upon first glance, he was stunned.

The contraption that laid before him looked like a miniature dwarven cannon, except it had a strange handle of some sorts. All it took for it to be held was just one hand. Along with that, the ammunition, which was stored to the side, appeared to be as small as pebbles.

To Hiccup, this was a questioning technological leap.

"What is it?" he asked, glancing back at Heather.

"A new weapon made by the dwarves of Khaz'ardul," she replied. "Morgrim gave it a name. It's a hand-cannon."

"Marvelous," gasped Fishlegs. "This is a new advancement in technology. It's like a regular dwarf cannon, but… significantly smaller."

"Question is, how much damage does it do?" asked Ruffnut. "If it goes boom, I wanna see it go boom!"

"Yeah! Me too!" added Tuffnut excitedly. "I'd be able to blow stuff up with this thing!"

"Let's hope you don't end up shooting yourselves, then," replied Astrid with her hands on the sides of her waist. "The last time you two tried to shoot, you both had bows, and you nearly shot your eyes out.

"Pfft! You've never played "X Marks the Arrow" before, Astrid!" complained Tuffnut. "I bet you couldn't shoot that thing as far as you could shoot arrows towards a-"

"Hold on a minute!" spoke Heather, interrupting Tuffnut. "Morgrim specifically stated that this was meant for Hiccup. He said that he'd give you guys your own eventually, but until then, we'll have to wait."

"...And that especially means you, Ruffnut and Tuffnut."

"Pfft. Good enough for me," said Snotlout. "We don't need a stupid hand-cannon when we can just easily cast magic that goes-"

"Um- Snotlout!" interrupted Astrid suddenly. "I think you shouldn't say that so loudly in front of-"

"Astrid, you know I'm right!" immediately replied Snotlout, ignoring her words as he suddenly flicked his wrist and casted up fire within the palm of his right hand.

"One spell, and I could blow three orcs up at once and-"

But before he could say anything else, he heard a breathy gasp escape from Heather's mouth. That was when he came to realize that she did not know about their abilities...

As he turned his head to look back at her, he saw the shocked expression on her face, causing him to immediately fizzle out the flames in a panic. But even then, Heather still stared at him with a stunned gaze, almost as if she were about to pass out.

"G- Guys?" she finally asked. "Is there something that I don't know, or am I just dreaming?"

However, before anyone could give a response, the sound of several pairs of footsteps coming up from behind caught their attention, and as the group turned around, they spotted the figures of three plate-cladded elven warriors approaching them, accompanied by two hooded rangers - garbed in silvery scalemail.

The warrior in the center stepped forward, bowing her head to the group.

"King Elendar requests your presence at the main gates," she immediately said. "Our viking and dwarven allies have arrived."

"Finally," sighed Arn.

Hiccup gave a nod, looking back at Heather and the others. "We'll settle this matter later. Mount up, dragon riders!"


	46. Elves, Dwarves, and Men

**It has been too long since I uploaded a chapter! For the past few weeks I've been focusing a lot on college due to finals, but with the semester ending, I can hopefully get back to this at a more regular weekly pace.**

**On a last note however, I'd like to point out that this chapter will have a bit of a Hiccstrid moment at the end. It had to come sooner or later! :) **

**Either way, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

The main entrance of Nordell, located to the north of the city, was a grand approach - guarded by two large gates; one inner, and one outer - both with ramparts standing tall at their sides.

Between the two gateways, there laid a large stone-paved courtyard, filled with dozens of elven guards, as well as siege weapons. After all, it would be improper if a city's gates were left unguarded.

And yet, it was outside those very gates where the elves' viking and dwarven allies were, waiting patiently for their entrance into Nordell to be given...

As Hiccup and his friends landed their dragons in the courtyard, Arn, who sat behind the auburn lad, was the first to dismount upon spotting Elendar, and as such, he hurryingly made his way over to the elven king's side. It was quite obvious to the others that he was eager to see his people again.

"I've never seen him this gladdened before," said Hiccup, dismounting Toothless with both brows raised.

"He's happy to see his tribe again," replied Astrid. "I mean- he hasn't seen them for months."

"Eh, I'd be the same if I was in his shoes," said Ruffnut, arms crossed. "Reminds me of when Tuffnut once left Macey back at our hut during the days of the Edge. Heh- he was freaking out. But when we got back, he hugged the dirty thing like it was a stupid-"

"HEY," her brother interrupted. "I'll have you know that Macey was a good mace!"

"Yeah. One you broke," she replied in a chuckle, to which her brother angrily grunted.

"Can you two like- _not_ argue about this?" asked Heather. "There are more important things to do than to argue about a mace that's been long brokened."

"She's right," Hiccup nodded. "We'd best get at it. Everyone dismount!"

By his word, the rest of the vikings swiftly dismounted their dragons, calmly making their way towards Elendar and Arn, both of whom were standing closest to the gate.

A moment of silence followed as they gathered around the elven king, who glanced back at them with a nod of approval. With everything and everyone in place, it was clear that they were now ready.

"My friends. You have arrived just in time," the king said, staring back at the gate.

"I assume the guards are waiting for your command to open the gate?" asked Hiccup.

"Yes," responded the elven king. "Though I believe it's been long enough. We had better get on with it. _Open the gate!"_

As his voice echoed out in command, the only response that was given was the blow of a reverberating horn as the great gate started to creak. Slowly did it begin to open, with the sound of chains and cranks snapping and clinging as they worked to raise the massive door. Eventually, the colors and banners of the vikings and dwarves on the other side became revealed, and like so, they began making their way forward.

As the group squinted their eyes, they were able to make out their figures more clearly.

The great bearded and stouty dwarves of Dalgard were cladded from head to toe in dwarven plating, thicker and tougher than the strongest iron. Their armor was several tints darker than what the elves wore, but they still bore color on them, for their metallic round-shields and cloaks were colored in either royal blue or maroon.

The Alsworn vikings on the other hand bore similar gear like Arn did, but of somewhat lower ranking. Their sleeveless chest-guards and leggings were scalemail. Their gloves and boots were leather. Their cloaks, round-shields, and wool tunics were colored in azure, like that of cloudless skies. And their fur capelets were grey, like that of a wolf.

Of course, like the dwarves, it was either helmet or no helmet. But in their case, some bore horns, whilst others did not.

Even then, the sight of the two races marching together was quite a sight to behold...

As the viking and dwarven forces calmly made way through the gate, the Alsworn suddenly turned their eyes onto Arn, who had stepped forward from the group to make his presence known, and as such, he quickly began towards them.

Like a pack of wolves rallying around their alpha, all two hundred pairs of feet began marching ahead of the dwarves as the scale-cladded vikings swiftly closed in on their future-chieftain.

Upon gathering around him, the warriors and shieldmaidens all came to a silence, staring down the lad with surprised gazes. It had been too long since they set eyes upon him.

"My chief..." spoke one of the warriors. "Is it... really you?"

Arn responded with an assuring nod. "Aye, it is me. It's been too long since we've spoken face-to-face, brothers and sisters. But even then, I am not your chieftain… at least not yet."

"Heh. You're our chieftain to us, son of Lothar," replied a nearby shieldmaiden. "Ever since you left Valnr to sail south, we were all worried you would never return. But here you are… mostly unscathed. Hopefully now we will be able to put a stop to the enemy. They have been warring with us for long enough."

"Aye, they have," said Arn. "And there's no doubt we'll make a change to the upcoming battle…"

"...Though- we appear to be one short of our group. Where is-?"

"Still on his way here, chieftain," replied one of the vikings. "Hopefully he will arrive soon, and once the siege begins, the orcs will flee at the sight of him."

Arn gave a smirked look, crossing his arms as he glanced between his men. "Then let's hope he gets here either today or tomorrow. We will cut the enemy down like butter, and send them running back! It's either victory or Valhalla!"

"Hah! Now that's what I call being a chieftain," chuckled one of the larger warriors, swiftly removing his helmet. "I say this calls for a celebration tonight! Three cheers for our chief's return! GLÄTHMÆLTR!"

Like a booming roar, the Alsworn vikings cheered for their leader, filling the courtyard with hearty applause, all while Hiccup, Elendar, and the riders watched on.

"Alsworn," sighed Elendar with his hands behind his back. "Always the hearty folk. They always have the need to celebrate something when it seems appropriate."

"I don't know about you, but that's what I call a reunion," responded Heather. "They seem really happy to have him back."

"Uh… but what about the dwarves?" asked Fishlegs. "Shouldn't we greet them-?"

"We're right behind ye, ya tall meatheads!"

The sudden voice of a dwarf immediately startled the young vikings as they quickly turned their backs, only to see the dwarves lined up in formation before them.

"That was… a fast line-up," spoke Ruffnut, placing her fists against the sides of her waist. "I dunno about you guys, but _something's_ wrong with this image. Either they are quick, or we're slooooooow."

As the group stared down the dwarves, their attention was seemingly caught by a warrior standing at the front of their ranks. The warrior was a blonde-bearded dwarf who wore a helmet with somewhat large horns, along with a well-made set of plate armor - trimmed with gold and covered in glowing white runes.

It was all too obvious to the young vikings that he was in command.

"Before I say anything else, I demand that ye tell meh this;" began the dwarf, making his way forward a few steps. "Which one of ye buggers knows where the elven king is?"

"I am right here, master dwarf," nodded Elendar as he too took several steps forward, bowing his head respectfully to the dwarf. "I am King Elendar of Nordell. Now if I may ask, who might you be?"

"I'm the dwarf that's gonna send ya right back tae sleep with a head tae the face, ye slacked-jaw daffodil!" responded the dwarf, and as such, Elendar and the young vikings looked back at one another, baffled by his reply.

"Wh- What…?" uttered Snotlout. "Who the Hel decided it was a good idea to send someone like _him_ here!?"

It appeared as if Snotlout was about to go on a ranting tantrum. However, it was then that the blonde dwarf slowly began to giggle, and before they knew it, he was howling out in a hearty laughter, cracking up like a drunken patron who drank one too many pints of mead.

"Ah…" he sighed, looking back at the elven king and the young vikings with a warm grin. "No worries, lads and lasses! I am only messin' around with ye! Anyone who's a friend of King Kharinz is a friend o' mine. I am Beldrak Ironbeard, one of the thanes of Dalgard, and the leader o' the Ironbeards… and I am at yer service!"

As the dwarven thane gave them a low bow, Hiccup and the others once again glanced at one another. They were relieved, but still slightly shocked from the dwarf's initial greeting.

Nonetheless however, Elendar gratefully accepted his salutations.

"It is good to meet you, Thane Ironbeard," he said. "Now how about we get you and your warriors settled in?"

"Aye!" nodded the dwarf.

…

* * *

Back at the palace, Hiccup, Elendar, the riders, and the dragons, along with Beldrak, the dwarves, and the Alsworn gathered in the large meeting hall near the throne room, and there, the main figures all sat around a large table of stone with elvish runes carved into it.

Aside from the dragons who stood near their riders, of whom the king sat besides, only the Alsworn vikings and dwarven ironbeards remained standing, positioned behind their leaders, both of whom were softly discussing amongst some of their men.

The only issue however was that it had been going on for a while...

_"Gah. What's taking so long?" _asked Hookfang in Dragonese, gazing over at Toothless. _"Can't they just start already?"_

_"Give them some time," _replied Toothless with a huff. _"They're probably just coming up with things that they want to say. Important things. After all, you can't go into a meeting unprepared."_

_"Like what?" _questioned Barf and Belch in unison.

However, before Toothless could give an answer, the murmurs coming from the Alsworn vikings and dwarves came to a stop as they turned their attention to the rest of the inhabitants within the room. It was obvious that they were now ready.

"I think we should proceed with the meeting now," spoke Arn.

Elendar gave a nod and proceeded to stand to his feet. He gazed back at the dwarves to his right, then to the Alsworn vikings on his left, and then to Hiccup and the others that sat near him. With the room in utter silence, he proceeded to clear his throat before finally speaking...

"Dwarves of Dalgard. Vikings of the Alsworn," began Elendar. "As you know, you have all been summoned regarding a desperate matter. A legion of orcs march on this very city, and you have answered the call to arms."

"...However, this battle can only be won by our strength in unity. The only way we can achieve total victory is if we fight as one, and that goes for the rest of the war. Even if we win here and slay every single foe, the enemy will still continue rampaging across Valnr."

"But do ye know their numbers, master elf?" asked Beldrak, his calm yet strong voice echoing throughout the chamber. "Ya never wrote tae King Kharinz about how many are marchin'. Fer all we know, they could be in their thousands."

"And you would be correct, master dwarf," replied the elven king. "My young viking friends here told me that the Dark Legions sent an entire army of five thousand to invade Votunheim, which was defeated thanks to them... But the one marching towards Nordell will be bigger. Most likely more than twice the size, if not more."

Beldrak crossed his arms, letting out a muffled chuckle. "Maybeh even fifteen thousand," he added. "Fer all the years my people fought against the orcs, not a single one of 'em was able tae breach the gates o' Dalgard. First they came in warbands by the dozens, then they came by the hundreds, and then the thousands. Fer every one of us dwarves they slew, twenty of 'em fell before our feet like the buggers they were!"

"Yet imagine what you could do with the elves and vikings on your side, mighty thane," said Elendar. "As such, that brings me over to Arn."

The elven king's blue glowing eyes fell onto Arn, motioning with a hand for the lad to stand as he raised a brow.

"Arn," he said. "The day you and I met to discuss the call to arms, you told me that there is something great enough to defeat the enemy permanently. A coalition under one banner, as you worded it."

"I did," he responded, turning his gaze back at the dwarves, as well as his own men.

"If you all still believe to be the only ones fighting the Dark Legions, know that this is no longer the case... You see, when I went south all those months ago to look for the Wings of Midgard, my journey brought me to a small island. It was on that island that an alliance was formed between dwarves, elves, and humans. Even dragons became a part of it. We called it the first Alliance of Midgard…"

"...They landed on Valnr as of a week ago with over a thousand ships. Hopefully the Dragonskarn were able to meet up with them, as they too became part of the Alliance."

The dwarves raised their brows, and so did the Alsworn, for they did not expect this. For hundreds of years their continent had remained isolated, and now an alliance of multiple races, one that was so great, had landed on their shores.

Thane Beldrak Ironbeard looked up at Arn with a curious gaze. "And do ye _lead_ this alliance?"

The blonde viking shook his head. "No. I'm not the leader," he said, spinning his head towards Hiccup as he pointed a finger directly towards the auburn-haired lad.

"He is."

All eyes in the room fell onto Hiccup with surprised gazes. To the dwarves and Alsworn, they appeared slightly skeptical. After all, they did not know who he was. The young Berkian was but a stranger to them.

"Uhh... Hiccup?" asked Snotlout. "They don't look so approving."

Hiccup let out a sigh as he stood to his feet, giving off a nod. "He's right," he said aloud, causing few to speak up in question. "...But I don't consider myself above the other leaders. As large as the Alliance is, leading it all directly would be a burden for me. Yes, I make the decisions, but not without the opinions and help of the other leaders. And even then, that does not stop any of them from acting as they wish, as long as it's for the greater good."

Beldrak squinted his eyes in question as he glanced at Arn with a gaze of wonder on his face. "Ye can't be serious about this. Why would ye put yer trust intae this outsider tae lead and decide fer yer alliance, Arn? Why didn't ye-?"

"He's no outsider. He's the leader of the Wings of Midgard," he immediately responded. "Even now, they stand in this very room with him."

"Without them, none of this would have been possible."

The room suddenly went quiet for a moment upon hearing those words coming out from Arn's mouth. At first, Hiccup and the others cringed as they assumed that the dwarves and the Alsworn did not believe it… However, it was then that they began talking excitedly amongst one another with much surprise and interest. For centuries they had known about the Wings of Midgard through many tales and sagas, as did the rest of Valnr. To them, the seven vikings were legends, and now they were here...

Beldrak placed his elbows upon the meeting table, crossing his hands as he stared at Hiccup, inspecting him up and down gazingly. It seemed as if almost immediately that his view towards the lad changed. Even though he was scrawny, the dwarf saw something within him that proved the truth in Arn's words. He was right.

The dwarven thane gave a grin.

"Young lad," he said. "Usually I wouldn't dare tae trust a stranger so quickly... but I feel an aura surrounding ye. If Arn says yer the leader o' the Wings of Midgard, then I will stand by his word and believe him. But what of yer six friends here? Are they too the Wings-?"

"Not me," spoke Heather. "I may be his friend, but I'm no spell caster. I only found out today that they can… well- do that."

"She's right. There's only six of us," added Astrid. "Only one of us remains to be found, and we have no idea where to look for them. All we can really do is wait and hope."

"Hm, I see…" sighed Beldrak. "Well then… if the six o' ye have a moment o' time tae spare, please, tell us yer tale! Ye have no idea how long we've all been waitin' fer this moment tae finally come! Tae see the Wings o' Midgard face tae face!"

"Aye! Tell us!" responded several more voices.

Soon, more and more ayes began shouting throughout the meeting chamber. It was clear that they all wanted to know what the group's journey was like, and as well as how they came to be the Wings of Midgard. Even Heather wanted to know. The riders could see it in her eyes.

"It's… kind of long," said Hiccup, snapping his fingers as he summoned up a small flame that sparked and flickered on his thumb like a candle. "But we'll tell you what we know…"

…

* * *

Nightfall eventually fell over Nordell. The group had spent much time explaining their story to the point that dusk eventually broke. Afterwards, their meeting finished with a few yet important words, in which Nordell and the Alsworn officially joined the Alliance of Midgard.

Only the dwarves did not join however, for only their king could make the decision. Yet that was beyond Hiccup's mind.

The viking let out a sigh as both he and Astrid looked down at the valley from the balcony they stood upon. The two of them were given a place to stay for the night, and as such, they took what time there was to be together...

They grinned in astonishment at the sight of the valley. The nightly atmosphere felt completely different from that of the day.

The trees and rivers were illuminated with a night-blue glow, as bright as the starry sky above them. To the two vikings, it felt as nostalgic as home. Although this was not the first time they had a moment like this, it was definitely the best by far.

While looking down at the valley, the sound of both their dragons snoring in the large room behind them caused them to softly chuckle.

"Ah…" sighed Astrid happily. "I really miss having nights like these. Reminds me of the time when you and I flew away from Dragon's Edge, just so we could be alone."

"Heh, I remember that," smirked Hiccup, leaning with his arms over the stone deck. "We flew as high as the clouds that night, and the northern lights glowed down on us as if Odin himself applauded it."

"I wouldn't count on it," giggled Astrid. "Though I will say, it reminds me of the first time we flew together on Toothless."

"And what about this?" asked Hiccup, pointing out the valley's nightly atmosphere and starry sky. "What do you think of this scene?"

"Honestly- I barely have any words," smiled Astrid, gazing from tree to tree, river to river, and mountain to mountain. "All I can say is that it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life."

"Well, that's an elven realm for you," chuckled Hiccup. "No other places on Midgard can compare to the lands of the light elves. Who knows what they're like on Alfheim?"

Astrid giggled, glancing back at Hiccup as she said flirtingly, "Not as beautiful as you."

"Oh stop it!" he replied, causing Astrid to belt out in laughter, before letting out a sigh.

After calming herself, the two took a moment to glance back at one another before a peaceful silence soon followed. Hiccup huffed, crossing his hands as his mind and thoughts began to wander. In that moment, there was a sudden change in his expression. However, Astrid was quick to notice this change. She saw that his eyes, narrowed down onto the valley, began to show more of a serious look.

"Something on your mind?" she asked concerningly.

"Yeah," nodded Hiccup. "I'm just wondering… does your wound still ache? Does everything feel alright?"

"Huh-? I'm fine Hiccup," she replied. "The only thing that feels unusual is this brisk feeling I've had all day, but that's alright... Why do you ask?"

"It's just that-" he began, abruptly stopping as he allowed the thought to sink in. "I regret ever leaving you alone that day, Astrid... If I wasn't a fool, your life wouldn't have been at risk. All of that would have never happened to you if I was there. My decisions have left you scarred. You nearly died because of me and my-"

"Hiccup-"

"But it's true!" he added. "Astrid, what if you never made the journey? What if you succumbed to that dark viking's weapon and died in my arms? All of Berk would've been-"

"Hiccup!" interrupted Astrid, finally grabbing his attention. "This was something that none of us saw coming. None of this was your fault; you've done nothing wrong... You have to understand that if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. I have stared death in the face multiple times throughout my life, and nearly all of those times, I was saved because of one person that guided me through. One light."

"...And that light is you. For every day that passes by, I am grateful that you're here with me. If you weren't here, I wouldn't be either."

Hiccup sighed, spinning his gaze back towards her as he placed the back of his hand against her cheek, lightly rubbing it. Her words had filled him with awe, as deep down, he knew that she stood right. Almost every time that her life was threatened- or at risk, he was the one who would be there to save her, just as how she had done the same for him during similar circumstances. If either of them were on the verge of losing everything, they would be there for one another.

They survived the grasp of death because of their belief in each other. Because of their love.

"Do you trust me, Hiccup?" asked Astrid, staring at him with a smile.

"I trust you more than anyone or anything," the lad replied.

In that moment, it felt as if his worries had gone away in an instant, and the only thing he could focus on was Astrid. She was a beautiful sight to him. Her loose blonde hair blew against the light breeze as it lit up from the starlight in the night sky, all whilst her sky-blue eyes reflected its glow as if they too were like the stars above. Everything about her illuminated. He gazed upon her as if she was more heavenly than the most beauteous of elves. In his eyes, she was no mere shieldmaiden, but a valkyrie.

Slowly but surely, as the two continued jointly staring, they both found themselves moving closer to each other, until finally, their lips suddenly met in a long, loving kiss, followed by their arms wrapping around one another. It was the first time that either of them has kissed in a long while, and in that moment, it felt perfect.

As the two eventually split, they both turned back to admire the view of the elven valley, and as such, Hiccup wrapped his arm around Astrid's back, all whilst she proceeded to lay her head against his right shoulder.

"Hiccup?" she said.

"Yeah, Astrid?" he asked.

"I don't want this night to end," she replied. "I want it to go on forever."

"Me too, Astrid," he nodded grinningly. "Me too…"


	47. Kicking Them Out - Part 1, The Charge

**Took longer than I anticipated to get this posted, but no worries! In this chapter, the siege finally begins!**

**As is per usual with battles, I heavily recommend for you guys to listen to some music of your choice to help settle into the mood and improve your reading experience! But if you only want to read, then feel free to read on! **

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Hiccup slowly awoke to an unexpecting chill that filled the room, of which he felt blowing against his naked back. Even with his arms wrapped around Astrid, who slept comfortably beneath the furred blanket, he could still feel bitterness in the air. Her warmth did not delude it.

The young lad curiously looked over his shoulder, staring back at the opening that led onto the balcony. To his surprise, there was no sun. Instead, his gaze was met with cloudy skies, illuminating with the light of the early morning.

_'...Is it supposed to be like this?' _he thought to himself.

Now fully awake, he gently flipped the furred blanket off of his legs before sitting up at the edge of the bed. Despite the warm trousers that he still wore, he could now feel the freezing air in its entirety against his naked chest. It felt very uneasing.

Something was wrong...

"Astrid," he said softly as he spun back to face her, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Astrid, wake up!"

The lass let out a muffled sigh as her eyes slowly began to open, and upon coming to her senses, she too quickly noticed the bittered cold feeling in the air.

"What the-?" she gasped, immediately setting aside the blanket as she slid to the opposite edge of the bed and stood to her feet, making her way to Hiccup's side. Unlike him, she was still clothed, save for her shoes.

Astrid rose her brows, gazing out at the cloudy sky. "W- Why is it so cold? It's like winter."

"I don't know," replied Hiccup. "Elendar said the season never changes in Nordell, and yet… those look more like snow-clouds than rain-clouds."

"...Something's not right."

Before either of them could say anything else, the sudden sound of a distant boom caught their attention, and as such, both Toothless and Stormfly, who slept nearby, awoke to it almost instantly.

The two riders turned to their dragons, both of whom were gazing out into the blue - and yet it appeared as if they were trying to focus...

"T- Toothless?" said Hiccup. "Is everything alright?"

There was a pause. For a brief moment the two dragons did not look up at their riders, but they nonetheless stood to their feet as they made their way to their sides.

_"Hiccup," _finally spoke Toothless. _"You heard that boom as well, right? ...Something's wrong. We're in grave danger."_

The lad gave a questioning look. "W- What-?"

Before he could further respond however, a sudden shake in the floor beneath the group's feet caught them all off-guard, and before they knew it, a fiery projectile went flying into the balcony, exploding into flames as both Hiccup and Astrid fell forward on their stomachs from the earth-shaking impact.

Burning rocks flew across the room, one of which nearly hit Toothless, and without hesitation, the two vikings were quick to stand to their feet as they made their way onto the balcony…

...Or rather- what remained of it.

Half of the structure had been completely blown off, all whilst the other before them was left in ruin. Yet as they inspected the damage, their eyes suddenly fell towards the valley down below…

"They're here," said Hiccup.

...Thousands upon thousands of orcs and other felled troops stood before the city of Nordell; their roars and taunting cheers, booming loudly like thunder. Even dozens of trolls were among their ranks - armored in giant sets of black plating, and equipped with large weapons that could smash aside several men at once. To the two vikings, they had never seen such a large army before. Not ever in their lives.

It was a nightmare to behold.

Hiccup felt a sense of dread grip him as the orcs blew their hellish horns of war, all whilst they continuingly fired dozens of flaming boulders onto the city. It was either flee or fight, and Hiccup knew which to choose.

"Wh- What do we do now?" questioned Astrid.

"We must gather the group," answered Hiccup, turning around as he rushed for his weapon and gear underneath the bed. "Prepare to fly out! Once we're rallied, we'll meet at the main gates!"

"The gates? Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm certain!" he replied. "...Now where's that damned dwarven hand-cannon?"

…

* * *

Elendar gritted his teeth as he ducked behind cover - dodging an oncoming arrow that nearly hit him, all whilst the walls shook from the exploding rounds of catapult fire.

The elven king, along with a few of his royal guards, stood atop the ramparts of the outer gate, looking over the battle that took place outside the walls.

And it was a mess.

The area that laid outside the main gates of Nordell was a grassy field that stretched out quite a distance, enough for an army of over a thousand to cover. In the center of the field, an elven watchtower stood overlooking the area, armed with more than a dozen elven rangers, all of whom were shooting down any orcs that came into range or that dared to climb up it.

But that was not the worst of it.

Beyond the tower stood the hilly woods leading down towards the valley in the east - burning in flames, and from them, multitudes of orcs swarmed in and onto the battlefield by the dozens, charging either towards the main gate or for the tower in the center.

Yet no matter how many orcs were shot down, it seemed as if they were not slowing their assault.

"Send them back into the abyss, rangers!" bellowed Elendar, yelling out orders in elvish to the archers atop the walls. _"LEITHAR IL' FHIR!"_

By his command, more than a hundred elven archers drew their bows, and in unison, more than a hundred arrows went flying through the air towards the oncoming orcs attempting to charge the gate. Despite the black plated armor that cladded them, they fell by the dozens to the hail of arrows. The precision and accuracy of the light elves was not to be underestimated, for their hundreds of years of training had served them well.

As the rangers atop the walls continued firing, Elendar took the moment to gaze back towards the courtyard behind him, where two hundred of his best elven warriors stood at the ready.

"Grr… where are they!?" he muttered to himself, referring to Hiccup and his group, as well as the Alsworn and the dwarves.

However, his answer would immediately be given.

The sound of two horns blasted through the air as the dwarves and vikings swarmed into the courtyard from the inner gate, lining up behind the outer approach as swiftly as they could alongside the elven warriors.

"Finally…" the elven king sighed.

As soon as the vikings and dwarves were lined up, Hiccup and the rest of the group, along with Beldrak and their dragons, rushed in as well, gathering in the center of the courtyard with their weapons in-hand… except for Astrid.

"Ahhh! Finally! A worthy battle tae fight!" cheered Beldrak. "I was beginning tae get impatient!"

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, thane!" replied Hiccup. "This fight's going to get messy!"

_"It already is a mess!" _

The voice of Elendar caught everyone's attention as the group gazed up towards the ramparts, spotting the figure of the elven king looking down at them.

"Elendar! What's going on out there!?" called out Hiccup.

"The orcs are swarming in by the dozens!" he replied. "There's hundreds of them out there! They're trying to overwhelm the watchtower! I'm uncertain how long the rangers there will be able to hold!"

"We should sally-out and help them!" responded Astrid. "We can't just leave them to die while the orcs continue flooding in! We should-"

"Not you, Astrid!" interrupted Elendar. "You cannot go onto the field unarmed, nor unarmored! Your dragon alone won't be enough, and even then, you'd be exposed!"

"So then what am I supposed to do?" questioned the shieldmaiden. "Bar myself up while my friends go out there and fight without me!? I won't let _them_ die either!"

"Nor would I! That is why I want you to head to the forge! Your axe and your new gear are waiting for you there! Once you're equipped, you and your dragon may join the fight!"

Astrid raised a brow as she looked back at Hiccup and the others with a questioning stare, but they merely gave her shrugs.

"Uhh- don't look at us," said Ruffnut. "We didn't tell him anything."

"Doesn't matter," sighed Astrid, turning her attention towards Stormfly as she made her way towards the dragon, before swiftly mounting up.

"Give the enemy all you've got. I'll join the fight once I'm geared up."

"Don't spend too long," said Hiccup. "If we lose this battle, then we'll lose the war. We'll be routed entirely."

"We _won't_ lose this war," Astrid responded. "When I charge in, these orcs will face a shieldmaiden unlike any they've faced before. I'll see to it that we win this fight."

"Heh. If you say so, _milady,"_ chuckled Hiccup, to which Astrid gave a smirk.

"Good luck, Hiccup."

To that, both she and Stormfly flew off, leaving Hiccup the group one viking and dragon short. But even then, the others were still eager to get out there and fight it out against the orcs. It was now or never.

Hiccup's gaze fell back onto Elendar, who ordered his royal guards to move. "What now!?"

"Get into positions, and prepare to sally-out!" the elven king replied. "I must join with the main army on the eastern wall to push back the orcs scaling the cliffs! You will be in command of this charge, Hiccup! Good luck!"

Without another word, Elendar rushed out of there, and as such, Hiccup was left in command of the elves that were present.

"Sir?"

From the corner of his eye, the voice of an elven warrior called out to Hiccup, and as he approached the young viking, he gave off a salute with his sword and shield.

"What are your orders?"

"...You heard your king. Prepare to sally-out," the lad responded. "Everyone, get into position! Arn, Beldrak, get on the flanks with your forces! The rest of you, with me!"

The elven soldier nodded as he fell back in line, and by Hiccup's command, the riders and their dragons swiftly marched to the front of the elven ranks in the center, while Arn and Beldrak rallied up with their own warriors, all of whom were ready to charge.

With everyone in position, the gate before them slowly began to raise, and as it did, Hiccup let out a deep and anxious exhale in anticipation, all while the earth beneath his feet shook intensely as the enemy's catapult-fire continued battering against the walls.

...And then, the gate was finally opened, revealing a mass of hundreds of orcs swarming forward.

"VICTORY OR VALHALLA!" screamed Heather, unhatching her double-sided axe.

The vikings, dwarves, and light elves raised their weapons up in unison as they roared and cheered, and with a flurry of his blade, Hiccup pointed Inferno forward.

"CHARGE!"

The riders and their dragons were the first to charge out of the gates, with the rest of their army following. The elven rangers atop the ramparts ceased their fire, and like wolves, Hiccup and his allies ran towards the orcs with violent speed.

Seeing their foe sally-out, the orcs began rushing towards them like rampant animals hunting for their prey, for they cared not of the risk.

Upon closing in, Toothless, Meatlug, Hookfang, Windshear, and Barf and Belch all let out their fiery attacks onto the mass of orcs, obliterating their front-lines as dozens of them were blasted back in flames.

"GRAAAGH!"

Hiccup let out a bellowing roar as he threw himself into the enemy, jumping as high as his legs could allow him before lighting Inferno aflame with his fiery magic, and as such, he sliced it down onto the head of a helmless orc.

The flaming blade cut through the top of the brute's skull like butter, and before any of the orcs could react, the ranks of elves, dwarves, and vikings finally crashed into them, along with the dragons, who cut a swath through their lines as if they were meadows of grass.

The real fight had now begun...

After both sides engaged, the conflict was quick to spread out across the battlefield, but Hiccup and the riders stuck together with their dragons, fighting directly down the center as they began an offensive push against the orcs.

Hiccup fought with his knowledge of magic, as well as with his precision and speed of the sword. With every orc that approached him, he would fight them out with his best weapon; his mind. They were stronger, as well as quick, and as such, he had to be quicker and smarter.

His blade found its mark again and again as he cut down the orcs where their armor was weak, and if more than one attempted to group up on him, he would use different forms of spells to swiftly take care of them, whether it be casting fireballs, channeling out flames, unleashing bolts of storm magic, or even summoning blasts of lightning that would hurl several orcs back at once.

Hiccup was not a viking underestimate.

Next to the lad was Snotlout. Though he was more of a warrior than Hiccup, he too relied on the abilities given to him as a Wing of Midgard, but he applied its use more to his sword rather than his hands. As such, he used more of his strength than his intelligence to best his foes.

With heavy swings of his weapon, bursts of fire would combust outwards in the form of conal explosions, followed by arcs of strong storm magic that would be enough to severely injure, if not kill, a normal warrior. Together, the two elements were able to annihilate many of the orcs that stood in Snotlout's path, save for the strongest.

But even then, they still kept on coming, for no matter how many orcs he slew, more would take their place.

Then there was Fishlegs and Heather, who fought back-to-back. Though the Berserker was no Wing of Midgard, she had learned much over the years as a fighter. Her cunningness had not left her, and her skill and strength made her all the more dangerous as she sliced and diced the orcs with her double-sided axe as if they were trees ready to be cut down.

Fishlegs on the other hand fought more aggressively than usual. He cleverly applied a stormy enchantment to his hammer, and yet he attacked heavily. With every successful strike he made against an orc, the hammer would let out a burst of lightning that would send two or three more orcs hurling back.

To this, Heather was astonished. It reminded her of Thor, the god of thunder and lightning, fighting with his legendary hammer Mjölnir in-hand.

"Since when did you learn to fight like this!?" called out Heather as she swiftly deflected the axe of an orc, before quickly cutting him down.

"Since the orcs burned down my hut!" replied Fishlegs as he let a guttural roar, slamming his hammer down into the ground with one heavy strike. From his weapon, a conal explosion of stormy magic bursted outwards as it sent seven orcs in front of him flying backwards.

Heather, who noticed this from over her shoulder, was filled with shock. It had become apparent to her that the Fishlegs she saw before her was not the viking she knew years ago. Now, he was a warrior.

"I've got more where that came from, you brutes!" the Ingerman bellowed loudly. "If it's a fight you want, I'll give it to you! SO C'MON! LET'S HAVE IT!"

Aside from Fishlegs and Heather who fought back-to-back however, there was also Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who were for the first time applying a sense of proper strategy, rather than just grouping up on one foe at a time. The Twins had sought it best to use their magics more than their weapons, and as such, they fought from a distance, but still struck down any orcs who came too close.

Ruffnut, who was the more cunning of the two, casted forth powerful bolts of lightning like an angry storm cloud, picking out orcs one at a time. Meanwhile, Tuffnut, who was more aggressive, channeled out a raging firestorm onto multitudes of orcs. His flames came out of his hand like a raging dragon, and as he continued at it, he could not stop laughing.

"HAHAHA! Isn't this fun!?" he asked, cackling louder than a crow.

"Hel yeah!" Ruffnut replied as she struck down an orc with a charged bolt of lightning. "It's like the gods _want_ them to run to their deaths! I feel ALIVE again!"

"And what about Barf and Belch? How d'ya think they're doing?"

Ruffnut glanced back at her brother for a moment with a pause, but merely responded with a shrug of her shoulders. "I dunno! Why don't ya see for yourself? I'm too busy having too much fun over here!"

As Tuffnut glanced to his right to the sounds of their dragons fighting, his eyes widened in magnificence upon seeing the damage that the fiery winged reptiles were making upon the orcish ranks, including Barf and Belch.

And it was a slaughter.

Dozens of orcs were smashed aside as the dragons went into a frenzy, tossing them around like sticks, all whilst scorching them wildly like an uncontrollable inferno. Not a single orc could pass through them, but even then, more kept on entering the battlefield from the forests.

As such, Hiccup and the other riders grouped closer together, finding themselves amidst an increasing struggle as the orcs began to put more pressure on them.

"There's… so many of them!" shouted Heather as she swiftly hacked her axe into the exposed neck of an orc. "How can anything stand against such a force!?"

"I don't know," replied Hiccup, casting a bolt of lightning towards an oncoming orc that quickly fell. "But that's besides the point! We need to make a push towards the watchtower, or else we're going to be overwhelmed!"

_"Then you'd better make it quick!" _

Out of the corner of the Hiccup's eyes, the sudden voice of Arn calling out caught his attention, and as he glanced to the west, he spotted the young viking running towards him, exhausted, as well as with a bloody sword in hand.

As the blonde viking came to a stop before Hiccup, he began breathing intensely as he stabbed his sword into the dirt, allowing himself to recover.

Hiccup stepped out of his position, making his way closer to the lad. "Arn? What's going on over there? Are you okay!?"

"The left flank is being met with an increasing amount of orcs!" he replied. "We thought they were thinning out, but we were wrong! The orcs have multiplied their efforts!"

"Damn," muttered Hiccup. "What about Beldrak? Have you seen him?"

"He's over there!" responded Arn, pointing him out with a nod of his head.

Immediately Hiccup spun his head around, facing towards the east, and in the distance, he could see Beldrak and his dwarves fighting it out.

Beldrak fought with a two-handed runic axe in-hand, with runes glowing as bright as the sun. The fiery enchantment on his axe, combined with his muscular strength, allowed him to pierce through the orcs' black armor, but only enough to strike at their flesh. Any exposed parts however resulted in the dwarf lopping off their limbs and heads like sport.

"HAHA! This is what I call a fight! KHAZÂD!" he shouted, jumping at the orcs like a madman.

As for the dwarven warriors themselves, although they were not as swift or precise as the elves, their cunningness and strength made up for it, allowing them to hold their ground against the enemy as they continued bashing them into the dirt.

At one point, a group of dwarves lined up in front of an oncoming band of orcs, and from their belts, they grabbed ahold of satchels, filled with explosive powder, and upon throwing them, the satchels bursted into fiery blasts that decimated the line of orcs.

"They're insane!" said Hiccup with shock. "No wonder they've held their ground against the orcs for so long!"

"Maybe we'd have more success if _he_ had arrived by now…" Arn quietly said to himself, his eyes now gazing up towards the cloudy skies.

"Come on… where is he!?" he finally shouted.

Hiccup rose a brow as he turned to face Arn, now noticing the lad staring up at the sky. "Who- Who are you talking about? Why are you staring at the-?"

"An old friend of mine was supposed to arrive with the Alsworn yesterday!" he replied. "The vikings were one warrior short- or rather, one _beast_ short. I didn't think it would take him this long to come!"

"What beast!?" asked Hiccup.

His answer would suddenly be given as a loud screech pierced the air, filling his ears. To Hiccup, it sounded like the call of a bird, but as he squinted his eyes and looked up towards where Arn was looking, he spotted the silhouette of a large bird diving towards them.

Except it was no mere bird.

It would not take long until it finally began to close in, and before Hiccup knew it, the beast crashed straight into the center of the orcish ranks that were continously charging the young vikings, taking out more than a dozen of the brutes.

Hiccup's eyes widened as the magnificent creature stood up straight to reveal itself, and as it let out a loud screech, the orcs nearby slowly began backing up in fear.

Lo and behold, it was an armored gryphon...


	48. Kicking Them Out - Part 2, The Warlock

**It has been a little while since I last posted a chapter, but we're back at it again!**

**Before beginning, I would like to recommend listening to some cinematic/epic battle music for a better reading experience! If you do not want to, then that is fine as well!**

**Either way, I hope you guys enjoy! Welcome back! :)**

* * *

The gryphon let out a bestial screech as the orcs around it hastily began backing away, but the mighty creature was quick to join the fight.

The great bird threw itself into the brutes of whom were charging the young vikings, crashing with its entire strength like a falling boulder as it flipped and tossed orcs into the air like pebbles. The plated armor it bore on its head, legs, and back made the orcs' attacks have little effect, and as such, it continued its rampage.

"KILL THAT BEAK-WINGED MAGGOT! KILL IT!" one of the orcs roared, before being quickly and brutally taken out.

Hiccup and the riders all the meanwhile stared upon the animal with astonished gazes. They had never seen an actual gryphon up-close before, for they only saw them in stories and drawings.

"I- I can't believe it!" grinned Fishlegs. "It's a gryphon!"

"But- how?" asked Hiccup, glancing back at Arn who merely smirked, and unexpectedly, chuckled at the sight of the large creature slaughtering the orcs.

"He was given to me by Kharinz a long time ago," the blonde viking replied. "His name is Talon, and he is my best friend!"

With a grin, Arn began running towards the gryphon, cutting down several orcs along the way, and upon reaching his side, he spun to face the orcs that surrounded the mighty beast, many of whom were reluctant to even charge it.

Despite his rampage, Talon was gladdened at the sight of his friend and rider. For a moment, his gaze fell away from the orcs as he gave Arn a playful nudge with his beak, before making a gesture with his left wing. Almost immediately, the young viking knew what he meant.

"You want me to get on?" the lad asked, to which the gryphon squawked, lowering his back for Arn to climb atop.

Without any objections, the blonde viking swiftly hopped onto Talon's saddle, and upon settling into the leathery seat, both of their gazes fell back onto the orcs that surrounded them, still foolishly holding their ground.

"I would run if I were you!" shouted Arn with a smirk on his face.

As if on queue, Talon let out a loud, piercing screech and began charging towards the orcs, throwing himself into the thick of it as the young warrior atop his back swung his blade at any orc that dared to get an inch too close.

Eventually, the orcish ranks in the center of the battle began dispersing towards the flanks, realizing that they could not match the mighty beast. But as they ran, Talon's eyes fell onto a nearby, tight cluster of orcs, and as such, he rushed towards them, only to violently flap his wings and fly off upon clashing into them, thus sending them hurling back.

The group's eyes squinted as they gazed up, watching Arn and Talon fly off into the distance - above and beyond the cliffs. Before they knew it however, the silhouettes of their figures quickly began to get larger as they came flying back…

With the orcs in the center now dispersed, the great bird and his rider turned their attention onto the western flank, where the Alsworn were fighting alongside half of the elven force. As the two of them flew overhead, the army of vikings cheered from down below, and as Talon and Arn threw themselves into an oncoming group of orcs, the Alsworn immediately bolstered their efforts.

Hiccup smirked. Satisfied with their progress, he turned around to face the others, all whilst a plan began to form at the top of his mind.

"Looks like we have the advantage!" he spoke, feeling renewed. "Now let's kick these orcs out of Nordell! Ruff, Tuff, Snotlout, you three will mount up and support our forces from the skies! Give the enemy all you have!"

"More fire, more destruction! Let's do it!" replied Ruffnut as she and the two vikings swiftly began running towards their dragons, of whom were still fighting on the flanks.

Despite the struggle of getting through the orcs, the three managed to reach them without much incident, and like so, they mounted up and took to the skies, from where they could deal devastating damage to the foe from above.

With Snotlout and the Twins up in the air raining fire on the enemy, both Fishlegs and Heather were the only ones left on the ground with Hiccup - amidst the chaotic battlefield around them.

"And what do you want us to do?" asked Heather.

"Go assist the elves and dwarves on the right flank, and take Meatlug and Windshear with you!" he commanded. "I'll help out Arn on the left!"

Without question, the two vikings gave a nod as they proceeded to run off to rally their dragons, thus leaving Hiccup alone with Toothless, who valiantly fought nearby.

"Looks like it's just me and him," he sighed as he placed two of his fingers to his mouth...

As Toothless hurled several orcs back with a mighty swing of his tail, the piercing sound of a sharp whistle caught his attention, and as he turned around, he spotted Hiccup waving his arms, motioning for him to follow.

The black dragon immediately obliged and began towards him, whose attention was now focused on the western flank, and upon approaching his rider, he came to an immediate stop.

Toothless gazed back into the direction where Hiccup was looking, and he let out a huff of hot air. _"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"_

"What do you think?" asked Hiccup with a smirk as he raised Inferno in front of his left shoulder, tightening his hands against the fiery weapon's hilt.

"You ready for this?"

_"Always!" _roared Toothless, as he both he and Hiccup charged into the fray once more…

…

* * *

On the great eastern wall of Nordell, the battle had intensified into a chaotic mess.

Over a thousand elven rangers stood lined up, raining down a hail arrows on the vast legion that amassed down below. Their marks however were not with heavy success, for the range was great, and the orcs were already climbing the cliffs by the hundreds.

In front of them, two thousand elven warriors were formed up into a long shield-wall. Their large, rectangular shields formed a steel barricade that the orcs could barely penetrate, for only swords and spears awaited them.

Despite the disadvantage, the orcs continued their assault, throwing themselves at the shield-wall like mindless, wild animals who cared for nothing but the kill. The disciplined elves however still held their ground, for the only thing that kept their wall together was their king Elendar, for he too was part of it.

_"HOLD THEM BACK!" _the elven king yelled in elvish, stabbing his sword through the gaps of the shields with precision. _"LET THESE BRUTES KNOW WHO THEY ARE DEALING WITH, FOR WE ARE ELVES OF ALFHEIM - THE CHILDREN OF FREYR! NO MATTER WHAT COMES, WE, WILL, HOLD!"_

The light elves roared in unison at their king's speech, and through instinct, the line of elven warriors took a single, large step forward, all whilst holding the shield-wall. Soon, the orcs were being pushed back off the wall, and it seemed as if there was hope.

But that feeling would not last...

A thunderous boom filled the skies, and from above, six large meteorites engulfed in chaos fire came crashing down onto the shield-wall, taking out dozens of elves upon impact.

Although the meteorites were shattered into chunks, the worst came when the remains of the blackened rocks reformed into large amalgamations; unnatural creatures that stood larger than a troll - covered in fire and held together by chaos magic.

Golems...

Their skull-like heads glanced down at the elves, emotionless, and in the blink of an eye, the golems began their rampage.

They swung their gigantic arms of molten-rock wildly, hurling back two or three elves at a time. Most were severely injured, whilst others were brutally slaughtered.

Soon, their screams caught the attention of King Elendar, who immediately stepped out of the shield-wall to gaze to the south, only to see the golems in the distance tossing around his warriors like pebbles.

A mix of dread and anger filled the elven king. Suddenly, the runes on his elvish blade began to glow white with light magic, and as such, he raised it up into the air, almost as if he were sending out a beacon…

And thus, he was answered.

Three elven mages hastily approached Elendar from behind. Their white and blue robes glistened, and the heads of their staves glowed with the elements of fire, storm, and ice. There was without a doubt that they were powerful spellcasters.

Elendar spun his light-infused blade with a swirl, pointing towards the battle-frenzied golems from afar.

"Come! Let us rid them from our walls!" he exclaimed as both he and the mages began charging the amalgamations, and upon closing in, the three wizards suddenly lifted their staves, summoning up bolts of fire, ice, and lightning that went hurling towards three of the golems.

But this did not go unnoticed. One of the large creatures noticed the elven king and his mages, and as such, began stomping towards them in a violent rush.

"GRAAAGH!" roared Elendar, raising his magical blade as he struck forward...

…

* * *

Hiccup let out a grunt as he pulled his blade out from the corpse of an orc, all while his eyes peered into the distance, for the balance of the battle was beginning to shift.

The battlefield was littered with the corpses of nearly a thousand orcs. After dealing enough damage to them, the majority of their ranks had begun to flee, and as such, this left room for the vikings, elves, and dwarves to advance.

However, some of the orcs became slightly overconfident in themselves, and refused to retreat. This however only resulted in them being blasted down by Barf, Belch, and Hookfang, of whom were still flying in circles above the battlefield with their riders.

"We're pushing them back!" bellowed Hiccup. "Now's our chance! EVERYONE, ADVANCE!"

With inspiring shouts, they began their advance around the elven watchtower, of which was surrounded by dozens of orc corpses. The rangers, who still stood strong atop it, cheered at the sight of their allies pushing forward.

But upon making their way around to the north of the tower, their eyes all fell upon an unexpecting sight in the distance. To Hiccup, Snotlout, Fishlegs, the Twins, and Arn, a cold feeling became fixed upon them…

Before the opening leading into the forest stood a large line of the familiar, black plated dark vikings, numbering as many as the Alsworn, dwarves, and elves combined. The sight alone felt dreadful, for their green eyes glared them down like bloodthirsty wolves, and their steel round-shields were raised at the ready - along with their sharpened axes and swords.

Hiccup felt his heart sink into his stomach, for the sight of them reminded him of what happened to Astrid. One way or another however, they would have to fight it out.

"EVERYONE, FORM UP BEHIND ME!" he suddenly yelled.

Immediately Hiccup's allies obliged, and with haste, the elves, dwarves, and vikings all lined up behind him into a mixed battle-line. Once it was formed, Fishlegs and Heather swiftly made their way to the lad's side with Meatlug and Windshear in tow, along with Arn, his gryphon, and Beldrak.

Snotlout and the Twins however remained up in the air atop their dragons, keeping watch from above in case the dark vikings planned anything suspicious.

...And yet to their surprise, nothing happened. Neither side made the attempt to charge forward, and for a while, the two armies glared down one another in silence.

_"Are they always like this?" _asked Windshear as she spoke to Meatlug in Dragonese.

_"No," _replied Meatlug as she stared at the ranks of the distant blackened warriors. _"Last time we fought them, they were as violent as the orcs. They're not the type to wait for a fight, let alone be patient."_

_"You're not the only one who's noticed this," _responded Toothless from nearby, joining in on their discussion. _"This isn't right… why aren't they charging us?"_

_"Maybe they're stalling us?" _asked Windshear. _"Or maybe it's a trap."_

_"Either of those don't sound good," _huffed Toothless. _"But I'd rather charge into a trap rather than stand around while the people fighting for us die."_

_"Well said," _nodded Meatlug.

As the dragons quietly continued talking, the young vikings looked back at one another, expressing questioning looks. For whatever reason, they too knew that something did not feel right.

"What are they waiting for?" asked Heather. "Aren't they going to charge us?"

"Usually they would," answered Arn. "Dark vikings are as aggressive and as violent as the orcs."

"And they're also cunning," answered Hiccup. "Unlike orcs, they don't lack strategy. The last time I fought a dark viking, he nearly had my head off. Were it not for Toothless, I would've been dead."

"And what about these buggers? Do ye think they're plannin' something?" asked Beldrak. "They look ready fer a fight, aye. But they appear tae be somewhat settled, ye know?"

"You have a point," said Hiccup. "But like Heather asked, what _are_ they waiting for?"

Before anything else could be uttered, the sight of the dark vikings shifting their ranks suddenly caught the group's attention as an orc emerged from the lines. However, they would soon learn that this was no mere orc. The hooded brute that stood before them was draped in blackened robes from head to toe, trailing with green glowing runes like a dozen small torches, and in his right hand, he carried a staff with a stag's skull at its head.

There was without a doubt that the orc was a warlock.

The brute chuckled as he straightened out his back. But upon lifting his hood, Hiccup's eyes widened with a staggering look, almost as if he recognized him, for the orc before him was no ordinary warlock.

"Remember me, Haddock?" asked the brute with a chuckle. "Let me introduce myself! I am Golrok, and I have come forward to speak!"

"You…" the lad replied with a glare. "You're the orc who sent that mountain troll after us back on Berk! ...What are you doing here!?"

"Hang on- you mean the same troll that Astrid shot down?" asked Arn with a shocked expression. "Are you sure that's him?"

"Oh it's him alright," said Fishlegs affirmingly. "I recognize the stag skull on his staff all too well, though I never knew orcs had their own names."

"We're not as half-witted as you believe us to be, human…" replied Golrok. "As to answer your question, Haddock - my warlord Drago thought it best for me to lead the siege, seeing as I know you better than any of his other lieutenants. But rather than killing you, I have come to offer you terms."

"Gah! Outta all yer kind, why should we trust ye? A good orc is a dead one!" exclaimed Beldrak.

"Likewise with your kind, dwarf," spat back Golrok. "But I have other plans that could benefit… both of us."

Despite the warlock's words, Hiccup felt no sense of trust for him. In his eyes, the orcs were a brutal race that knew nothing but war, for their kind would never stop fighting until victory was assured, even if it meant having to negotiate… but not for the benefit of both sides.

With a sigh, the young viking took several steps forward, keeping his fiery sword by his side with a tight grip.

"I'm listening!" he called out, causing Golrok to grin.

"Heed my words, then!" the orc began. "While you fight to secure this frontier, your elven allies on the eastern wall fall one by one! Hundreds have already died, and now Nordell burns! As such, my terms are simple; hand yourself over, Hiccup Haddock, and I will call off the siege. Your friends will be spared, and I will ensure that the Dark Legions never step foot into this kingdom again. Continue this fight however, and you will all be slaughtered! You know well that you cannot hold out forever..."

There was a moment of silence. The elves, dwarves, and vikings were all staggered in anger, for it was as if they saw through the lies of Golrok's terms. Hiccup was no mere viking to them, and if the enemy were to have their hands on him, then it would mean losing the leader of the Wings of Midgard…

As the three races began speaking out in protest, the young viking narrowed his eyes down to the ground, rolling his hands into tightened fists, even with his blade still unsheathed. He saw the warlock's terms as nothing but a joke, and at the same time, his anger began to boil.

The orc had the audacity to tell him to battle Drago on the island of his ancestors, which was transformed into a barren and blackened waste, and that lost him his father. Now the brute had the audacity to tell him to give himself up, which would in turn lose Berk another chieftain.

...That to Hiccup was something to scoff at.

"...We can't hold out forever?" he asked, before glancing back up at the orc. "You mean like how we did in Votunheim when we crushed your puppet Bjornar along with his army? I think I'll take my chances, Golrok. The answer is no."

"Stubborn boy," exclaimed the warlock. "You know not who you're dealing with! Bjornar was weak! I am the right hand of Drago Bludvist! I carry powers that not even that arrogant votun could ever wield!"

"And what's to say you're better than me?" asked Hiccup with a taunting manner. "I collapsed an entire pass on Bjornar's army. What difference would it make if I had done the same to a just single orc warlock?"

"You're making a grave mistake, boy," Gorlok grunted as he slammed the base of his staff into the ground, causing the eyes on the skull to glow green. "I am giving you one last chance. Surrender yourself over, or you and your allies will all be killed!"

The words from the warlock suddenly forced the elves, dwarves, and vikings to react. In unison, they all raised their shields into a combined shield wall, and as such, the dark vikings reacted the same way.

However, Hiccup gave no response, and in that moment, his world came to a standstill. As both sides waited in silence to see what the lad would reply with, he merely continued glaring at the orc. It was as if he planned to charge at any moment.

But little did either side know, his plan was already in motion…

The fiery rage within the lad ignited into an inferno. What was once a candle was now a wildfire. The enchanted flames on his sword began to burn violently, and before they knew it, both his eyes and his hands lit up like bonfires, becoming brighter by the second.

Golrok took a step back, holding out his staff. "What are you doing!?"

Hiccup merely replied with a chuckle. "You know what's funny? I've always imagined what I would do to Drago as payback for murdering my father... But knowing you were part of it, I think it's only fair that I do the same to you; by burning you to ashes..."

With his blade still in-hand, the Wing of Midgard raised both his arms up in roar as a large circle of fire bursted upwards in the center of the dark viking ranks, sending dozens of the felled warriors hurling back. But that was only the beginning. From the flames, a raging tornado of fire quickly manifested, and like a forge being fed with coal, Hiccup gave more and more to the firestorm until it grew to a large enough size that he saw fit to unleash.

What followed was utter chaos…

The dark vikings screamed in horror as they were slowly dragged into the fiery tempest. Many attempted to run, but all were eventually swallowed by the inescapable death-trap. Even Golrok, who held tightly onto his staff and pinned his feet down, was slowly but surely being drawn in by the powerful spell.

"GRRRAAAAAGH!" he screamed, glaring back at Hiccup. "YOU WON'T DEFEAT ME THAT EASILY, PUP!"

The orc warlock let out a roar as he swiftly raised his staff into the air, and upon slamming it down, a burst of chaos fire engulfed him, teleporting him away from the flaming madness that dared to consume him.

Immediately Hiccup pulled back his arms, and like a candle being blown out, the tornado diminished into the cold air, leaving nothing but the burnt ashes of hundreds of dark vikings in its wake. For a moment, every elf, dwarf, and viking around him were left in silence.

"Wow…" said Tuffnut, slowly glancing back at Ruffnut. "That. Was. AWESOME!"

"I know right!?" chuckled Ruffnut. "Man, we REALLY need to learn how to do that!"

Hiccup sighed as the fiery rage in his eyes and hands blew away like a gust in the wind. He allowed his mind to clear up from the anger he had unleashed, and as shakened as he was, he also felt weakened from the spell's magnitude.

He dropped his sword and fell to one knee, breathing heavily as he hugged his arms. However, Fishlegs, Heather, and Toothless were quick to react as they came up from behind, making their way to the lad's side to help him up.

_"Hiccup! Are you alright?" _asked Toothless in Dragonese. _"Hiccup!" _

"I- I'm fine," he shivered. "I just… didn't expect that."

"Whatever that was... that was awesome," replied Heather as she, Fishlegs, and Toothless helped the young viking to his feet. "You took them all down like they were nothing!"

"Yeah- but it wasn't that simple," said Hiccup as he slowly picked up his sword, before spinning around to face them. "I don't know what got ahold of me, but something tells me that I won't be doing that again anytime soon…"

"...Maybe it has something to do with what you did in Votunheim?" asked Arn, catching the four's attention as they curiously turned to face the mounted viking.

"What do you mean?" questioned Fishlegs.

"Remember that lightning storm Hiccup summoned up to collapse the pass?" the lad asked, to which the three vikings gave a nod.

"What about it?" asked Hiccup.

"Well- I think that firestorm that you just conjured was somehow similar to it," replied Arn. "Think about it. That's the second time you've casted a powerful spell, and both times, you were left exhausted."

Hiccup arched a brow, glancing back at Fishlegs and Heather with a questioning look. "He has a point. But even then, I doubt I'll be able to cast another one of those… things again."

"Well at least you saved us from a disaster," responded Fishlegs, giving his friend a pat on the shoulder. "Hundreds are still alive because of you."

"Yeah… and so is that warlock," the lad added. "As long as he's alive, this siege will keep going on. We must find him and take him down. Only then will we-"

There was a pause. Hiccup came to a stop in his words as he felt a sudden vibrations in the ground beneath him. At first he made nothing of it, until it began to intensify. Soon, this caught the attention of the riders, and then the rest of the vikings, elves, and dwarves as it became louder and more violent.

"What the Brimir is goin' on!?" called out a dwarf.

"It keeps getting stronger!" shouted an Alsworn viking.

"What is that!?" bellowed Hiccup as he turned his gaze towards Snotlout and the Twins, who were still up in the sky.

"Can you guys see anything!?"

Snotlout squinted his eyes as he gazed around, looking into the distance, but through the cold fog and burning forests, he could see nothing…

...As the lad was about to open his mouth to speak however, the loud roar of something angry caused everyone's heads to turn forward towards the woods. It soon became apparent that the shaking in the earth beneath them was stomping; the stomping of large feet. However, when the roar came once more, Hiccup was able to put the pieces together, and as such, he shouted out a single word;

"TROLL!"

"Oh Thor," gasped Fishlegs. "Not again!"


	49. Kicking Them Out - Part 3, A Dire Battle

**I won't make this A/N long, but before beginning, I'd like to express that I didn't expect to take _this_ long to post this chapter; but because of real life complications, as well as a recent surgery, I was unable to post 1-2 weeks after the previous chapter. **

**Either way, I am nonetheless happy to be back, and I hope you guys enjoy this one! :) **

* * *

Everyone braced themselves as the troll came rampaging from the forests. Like an angered Rumblehorn, the large brute marched out of the woods in a fit of rage and violence.

Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Heather quickly grouped up together along with their dragons, whilst Arn, who was still atop Talon, and Beldrak, who was ready to give another swing of his axe, backed up towards their forces - all of whom were prepared for what the troll had to offer, and as it stomped out from the forest's opening and revealed its full stature, it let out a shakening roar.

"Oh Odin…" gulped Heather.

Unlike the previous troll that the young vikings faced back on Berk, the monster before them was cladded in dark armor, as well as slightly larger. Although it bore no weapon, such a large troll of its size required none. Only it's fists.

"BRACE YOURSELVES!" bellowed Hiccup, tightening the grip on his fiery blade with his gaze fixed on the armored brute.

As the troll began to prepare it's charge, the elves made an unexpecting move as they made their way in front of the ranks of dwarves and vikings, splitting off into two groups, and in a disciplined display, they sheathed away their swords, spears, and shields in unison - and in return, they unsheathed their bows.

The light elves all lined up behind the young vikings, latching their arrows onto the strings of their bows as they aimed directly for the troll. None hesitated to let them loose if the monstrous creature dared to make a single move forward.

However, this merely gave the troll more of a reason to begin it's charge. As such, the brute let out an ear-piercing roar, ready to stomp forward…

...But it never did.

Almost immediately, the sound of an arrow firing from a bow caught everyone's attention as it whistled through the air, making its way towards the troll's exposed, gaping mouth.

Before it made its mark however, Hiccup was able to catch a quick glimpse of the projectile, enough to immediately realize that it was no ordinary arrow that flew overhead. It was an arrow that was made entirely out of ice - from its feathers to its head, and along its base, an icy-blue light emanated out of it, leaving a trail of snow in its wake.

_'Ice magic…' _he thought to himself.

Within a single second, the troll's roar became a choking gasp as the arrow passed through its head, causing the large monster to suddenly stumble back on it's footing. Eventually, all it let out was a dying, breathy, bellowing moan, and in a great fall, the brute tumbled onto its side...

Gazing down upon the corpse of the troll, Hiccup's eyes became wider than either the sun or moon, along with all of those around him. The elves however expressed looks of confusion as they gazed back at one another, and one by one, they lowered their bows.

"Well then," sighed Beldrak, taking a few steps forward as he stared down at the monster's corpse. "That's one large bugger down."

"At least we didn't have to go through the pain of fighting another one of Golrok's trolls again," said Arn. "One from him was enough."

"That's the least of my concerns," replied Hiccup. "The arrow that shot it down was no ordinary arrow. It was made out of ice magic. I mean- it was literally glowing. Question is, who on Midgard shot it…?"

_"Who do you think, dragon-boy?!"_

Hiccup's head suddenly shot up upon hearing the voice call out to him. It was all too familiar, and as such, both he and his friends looked back to see where it came from.

The lad's eyes gazed back at the tower where the elven rangers stood, and at the top, he spotted a hooded figure, staring directly down at him. More specifically- the figure of a woman.

Though her facial features were too difficult to make out, what he _could_ make out was the attire she wore.

Her armor consisted mainly of elven scale mail that wrapped around the entirety of her chest and arms, along with wristplates of which were made of elven steel. The rest of her outfit however was made up of her leather pants and boots, along with white fur that hung from both her shoulders, ankles, and the blue hooded-cloak she bore.

After a moment of staring, the figure nudged her head motioningly, and from behind, a dragon came forth. More specifically, a Deadly Nadder.

"Yup," said Hiccup. "It's her."

Without a second of hesitation, the young woman backed away from the edge, only to run forward as she jumped with a strong leap. In response, the Nadder immediately flapped her wings as she glided after her rider, and with smooth success, the figure grabbed onto her dragon's claws as the two of them glided down safely.

Upon landing before Hiccup and the group, the woman straightened herself out as she looked back at them, smirking from beneath her hood.

"Am I late?" asked Astrid.

"Nope. But you took long enough, milady. And that was a good shot, if I do say so myself," smiled Hiccup. "Still, what took you so long?"

"Orc and goblins were rampaging through the streets of Nordell," she replied as she placed away her bow and removed her hood, allowing for her hair to once again fall freely. "Stormfly and I decided to clean them up, so we fought our way through hundreds of those brutes."

"Hundreds?" asked Heather. "On your own? That's…"

"Well- I had my new magic to help me out," she answered as she stuck out her right hand, and with a flick of her wrist, she summoned up a snowy shard of ice.

The icycle levitated above her open palm like a snowflake frozen in time, emanating an icy-blue glow that gave the young vikings a chilling sensation.

"How's that even possible?" asked Fishlegs. "What did you do to awaken it?"

"I embraced it, thanks to this cold weather," she replied as her palm tightened up into a fist, dismissing the magic. "Unlike with fire where you have to force it - or with lightning where you have to focus, with ice, you allow it to happen. You welcome it as if you're-"

_"HEY! Who are you talking to down there!?" _

The sudden voice of Ruffnut rang through everyone's ears as the group gazed their eyes up towards the skies, where Snotlout and the Twins still flew atop their dragons, overlooking the area around them.

"Do ye _have_ tae yell that bloody loudly, ya muttonhead!?" responded Beldrak. "It's yer friend fer Odin's sake!"

"Oh! Hey Astrid!" called out Ruffnut, to which she, Tuffnut, and Snotlout waved down at her. "Nice armor by the way!"

The shieldmaiden gave a nod as she returned an awkward wave to them. "Uhh… what are they doing up there?"

"They're overlooking the area from above," replied Arn from nearby. "An old "friend" of ours is back."

"Hmph. An old friend?" questioned Astrid as she turned her eyes from the three in the sky, and onto Arn standing behind her. However, they would instead fall first onto the gryphon that he was mounted on.

"Um…" she began. "I- must've not noticed that. Where on Midgard did you get that gryphon?"

"He's a friend of mine, but I'll tell you about it later," answered Arn. "As for the old friend that I mentioned- remember the warlock we faced back on Berk? You know- the orc who sent the troll after us?"

Astrid's eyes widened with shock. "What-? Are you telling me he's here?"

"He's the one who led the enemy here," said Fishlegs. "He commands this siege under Drago's orders, and that troll you shot down was one of his."

"...And where is he?"

_"Hahahaha! Over here…"_

Like a gust in the wind, the laughter of the warlock's voice echoed in everyone's ears, and as such, the young vikings and dragons, along with the elves, dwarves, and Alsworn, began looking back at their surroundings with their weapons raised at the ready.

Hiccup raised the hilt of his blade in front of his shoulders, gazing around with intense focus.

"Do you see him anywhere, Toothless!?" he asked his dragon, whose eyes were as much squinted as his rider's were.

_"Nothing…" _he growled in Dragonese. _"He's hiding like a coward."_

The lad let out a grunt as he spun his head to look back towards the distant opening. "WHERE ARE YOU, GOLROK!?" he shouted. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

_"As you wish…"_

In that moment, a vortex of chaos fire bursted upwards in the opening where the troll came marching out from, and before them, Golrok reappeared, with his eyes giving off a peculiar yet crazed fit of anger and amusement.

The dragons began growling at the sight of the orc, ready to strike if he dared to make a move.

"So the brute has a name," said Astrid, grabbing ahold of her axe as she unsheathed it from her back.

"What are you planning this time, orc!?" questioned Hiccup aggressively. "First you run away after being nearly burned to a crisp, and then you send out a troll, only for it to be shot down!"

"Run?" asked Golrok, letting out a cackle as he took several steps forward, causing the dragons to growl louder. "Stupid boy. With the power of Maldragor, I do not need to run. Instead, I can be EVERYWHERE."

"And what the Hel is that supposed to mean!?" asked Heather.

Golrok let out a wicked chuckle as he raised up his staff, before replying, "Let me show you, little girl."

With a swift motion, he slammed the base of the staff down into the ground, causing the earth beneath them to shake as the eyes of the skull at the head of the scepter began to glow with chaos energy.

What followed next caught every viking, dwarf, and elf there by surprise.

Two large portals of chaos magic swiftly manifested on the right and left flanks of the young vikings' allies, and from both of the gateways, three armored trolls immediately marched out, and this time, they were armed - wielding large maces of black iron and steel.

Behind them, mobs of angry orcs and goblins followed, but rather than charging ahead, they allowed the trolls to be their bulwark, and as such, the monsters made the first move.

Hiccup's eyes widened as he and the others looked back in horror. "EVERYONE, BRACE YOURSELVES!"

However, before anyone could react, the elves, who stood in the way of the trolls, were the first to receive the brunt of their assault. The large brutes swung their weapons like hammers falling onto anvils, smashing aside more than a dozen of them in a rage of blood and fury as their screams filled the air, followed by the cheering of the orcs and goblins.

At first, Hiccup was uncertain as to how to respond to the sudden attack. But in the midst of the dire moment, Toothless suddenly stepped forward to assume his own command...

As the alpha of dragons, the Night Fury was quick to take action, and with a thundering roar, a blue glow began emanating from the top of his head, reaching down to his spine.

_"Don't give those trolls another inch!" _he bellowed, speaking in an authoritative tone that quickly caught the attention of the other dragons. _"Meatlug, Windshear, get the left flank! Stormfly, you're with me on the right!"_

_"LET'S TAKE THEM ON!"_

The four dragons let out their roars in unison, charging towards the trolls with violent speed as they each let out their fiery attacks onto the armored monsters, and upon crashing into them, they sent the trolls stumbling back with great force, which in turn was enough to drag their attention away from the elves.

For a moment, Toothless, Stormfly, Meatlug, and Windshear were on top of the cladded brutes, biting and scratching at them with blows that would be enough to kill a normal man. Eventually however, the trolls were able to regain their footing, and thus were able to push back the winged reptiles, forcing them back onto their feet.

Though it appeared as if it were six against four, this did not go unnoticed from above.

Snotlout and the Twins, who saw the whole situation from above, flew their dragons straight for the trolls, and as they closed in on the cladded brutes, the three vikings immediately hopped off their dragons and landed right beside the elves, of whom had now clashed with the orcs and goblins.

Arn and Beldrak, now seeing the opportunity as the trolls were distracted, immediately rose their weapons as they both began to charge, and as such, their warriors followed, with the Alsworn engaging with their leader on the left flank, and the dwarves engaging with their thane on the right.

As the two forces clashed with the orcs and goblins, they did so with great impact, cutting down dozens of them as they made way for the elves to bracen their ranks.

Soon, battle lines were formed on both sides of the field, and with the situation stabilized, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Heather turned their attention back towards Golrok.

The orc gave a grim look as his brows lowered into a glare. "Clever fools. But you still have me to deal with."

"I think we can arrange that," responded Astrid as she swiftly thrusted her left hand forward, sending out a bolt of icy magic towards the warlock. But in response, Golrok quickly lifted his staff, summoning up a barrier of chaos magic that effortlessly deflected the icy bolt.

"You'll have to be quicker than that, girl," grunted the warlock. "If you truly wish to face me, then follow me into the opening. Bring only yourself and your leader."

"I'll be waiting…"

The orc let out a growl as he snapped his fingers, teleporting away within a vortex of chaos fire, leaving only the four vikings to momentarily ponder.

"This seems like a bad idea," said Heather, looking back at the two with uncertainty. "I doubt you guys will be able to take him on. What if it's a trap?"

"He'll fall just as easily as any other orc has," replied Astrid, placing a hand on the lass's shoulder. "We'll be fine."

"She's right. We've faced worse than him before," added Hiccup. "One warlock won't make that big of a difference."

"I'd still be careful," said Fishlegs with suspicion. "If he's indeed Drago's right hand, then fighting him won't be easy. He might go all out on you once the fight begins."

"We'll try to stay alive then," said Hiccup. "Either way, it's settled. Astrid and I will face Golrok together. In the meantime, you two should go help out the others. It's now or never."

The two vikings obliged with a nod as they spun their attention towards the battle, and like so, they ran off with their weapons raised, joining the battle with the others.

Hiccup let out a sigh as both he and Astrid glanced back at one another - both expressing a mix of dread and anxiety.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"I'm with you," she replied. "As always."

Hiccup smirked as he nodded. "Let's do it."

…

* * *

As Hiccup and Astrid made their way into the opening, snow began to fall. The air became brisk as it filled with a chilling sensation that would make any normal man shiver. But with their blood rushing, the two of them merely shunned it.

As the young vikings came to a stop, Hiccup glanced around at their surroundings, keeping his fiery blade close whilst he stood on Astrid's left flank. "A bit of an unnerving place to fight in, but we simply have no choice. We'll have to rely more on our magics for this. There's no telling what Golrok can do."

"You should use that hand-cannon when you can," said Astrid, pointing out the weapon that hung from the lad's belt. "If there's a point in this fight where we can damage him with it, we should take the chance."

_"If only it would be that easy…" _

The voice of the warlock once again rang in their ears, and before either of them could speak, their attention was caught towards the center of the opening as a vortex of chaos fire manifested. Upon diminishing, the orc once again came into their view.

Astrid's eyes narrowed towards Hiccup. "Should we be cautious?"

"There's nothing to be cautious of," he replied, before he began to speak directly to the brute...

"You can't keep on like this forever, Golrok. The more you keep on running like this, the more you'll be seen as nothing but a coward."

"Haha. A coward? Do you even understand the words coming out of your mouth, human?" asked Golrok. "If I was a coward, I would've fled this battle after you tried to kill me with that firestorm of yours. Do you really think I am afraid of you?"

"No," said Hiccup. "But maybe Drago is. After all, why isn't _he_ leading the siege?"

"My warlord has other plans that are of greater importance. Plans that will make this siege look like child's play," chuckled the warlock, glancing between both of the vikings.

"What do you mean?" asked Astrid as the grip on her axe tightened.

"Hahaha… You fools are too curious, aren't you?" questioned the orc grinningly. "Know this well, you two; while you waste your time fighting here, Drago prepares to march south, leading horrors unlike any you have ever seen before. Soon, chaos will unfold, and once it does, the final ritual shall commence. When it begins, there will be no stopping it…"

There came a pause. For a moment, the two vikings glanced back at one another in a mix of confusion and dread as their faces suddenly became as pale as snow. Golrok's words sent shivers down their spines, but what they did not understand was this final ritual. It was too unclear, and as such, they felt all the more worrying.

"...W- What is this final ritual?" asked Hiccup, only to receive silence in return.

The lad tightened his right hand into a fist. "Tell me, or I'll make you regret ever coming here!"

"And what are _you_ going to do, boy?" asked Golrok, taunting him. "You know not who you're dealing with. If I wanted to, I could kill you in an instant. Maldragor's power flows through me, and with it, I have burned hundreds of vikings to ashes on my own!"

"Like how I did with your army of dark vikings after casting that firestorm on top of them? If there's anyone who doesn't know who they're dealing with, it's you."

"Those fools were merely cannon fodder," the warlock responded glaringly.

"And yet like them, you were nearly swallowed up," the lad replied with a chuckle. "Any true leader would've died with their men. Instead, you fled like a-"

"SILENCE!" bellowed the warlock as he the bottom of his staff against the ground, causing the earth to slightly shake. _"Now_ I've had enough of your bickering! If it is a battle you want, then by all means, make your move! We'll see who the true cowards are!"

With an aggressive flick of his wrist, Golrok's left hand lit up in green chaos fire, crackling threateningly. In response, the two Wings of Midgard made the same move, with Astrid summoning up icy magic in her left hand, and Hiccup casting up flames in his right; both magics violently emanating with an arctic blue and volcanic orange.

In that moment, it all came to a standstill. Both vikings glared into the green eyes of the warlock, who in return glared back at them. He let out a growl as if he were an angered wolf, prepared for whatever spell that they had to cast at him...

...Hiccup let out a sigh. With a swing of his arm, he made the first move as he immediately sent a ball of fire hurling swiftly towards the warlock.

With a scoff, Golrok swiftly raised his staff, erecting a barrier of chaos energy, which in turn blocked the fiery spell as it exploded upon impact. But that was merely the beginning.

The warlock made his reply, and with a thrust of his arm, he conjured forth a bolt of chaos fire as it went flying towards Hiccup. But this did not go unanswered as Astrid quickly threw her hand forward, and in the blink of an eye, a wall of ice suddenly erupted upwards in front of the lad, taking the hit of Golrok's spell as the ice shattered into snow, before quickly dissolving into the air.

To that end, Astrid responded with a spell of her own as she swung her arm forward, summoning a ball of ice magic that went swirling towards the orc. Once again however, Golrok raised a barrier around himself, repelling it.

"Hah!" the brute chuckled, keeping his shield raised. "You are going to have to do better than that, fools!"

"Not a problem," responded Hiccup as he raised his open palm outwards, and through his intense rage, the lad began conjuring out multiple balls of fire that hailed down on Golrok like a volley of arrows.

Though the orc was able to hold them back, it soon became a dire struggle for him as Astrid quickly followed up, once again directing her icy hand towards the brute as bolts of frost magic began barraging him, pinning him down even further.

Golrok grunted as the shield surrounding him soon began to falter and close in.

"So," he growled through gritted teeth. "That's how it's going to be then!? HAVE IT YOUR WAY!"

To their unexpectations, the warlock suddenly straightened himself out, and with a bellowing roar, Golrok erupted the barrier and sent it bursting outwards in a torrent of chaos energy, causing both Hiccup and Astrid to be hurled back.

The two vikings braced themselves upon landing back several feet from where they stood, flat on their backs.

Golrok grinned as a chuckle escaped his lips. "Is that the best you can do, Wings of Midgard!?"

Hiccup let out a grunt, slamming his hand against the ground as he made the effort to swiftly stand back up, with Astrid quickly following along.

However, upon getting back to their feet, Golrok immediately snapped his fingers as he once again teleported away in a swirl of chaos fire, only to suddenly reappear on Astrid's right from a distance... with his staff pointed towards her.

"ASTRID!" yelled Hiccup.

Immediately, her gaze spun towards the orc with her hand raised out, and in unison, the two combatants conjured forth beams of magic that collided with one another, causing a burst of ice and chaos fire.

Astrid growled as she felt her hand quake beneath the force of the beam, yet neither side seemed to gain the upper hand, for the two streams of magic remained centered.

"I can't… push it back!" she called out.

"Hold on!" responded Hiccup, conjuring up bright flames that burned wildly in his open palm as he raised his arm out towards the warlock, bellowing out, _"FÚRE!" _

Almost instantly, the flames from his hand suddenly formed into an explosive ball of fire as large as his own head, and like a boulder let loose from a catapult, the fiery spell hurled towards Golrok with flaming speed.

The warlock, upon seeing this, let out a roar as he broke his beam of magic and attempted to teleport out of the way. However, Astrid had not broken _her_ spell, and as such, Golrok found himself being pushed back by a strong wave of ice, followed by Hiccup's blast of fire violently crashing into him.

The orc fell onto his back as the flames from Hiccup's spell scorched across his body. However, he did not scream. To Hiccup's surprise, the flames quickly died out, and upon diminishing, Gorlok merely stood to his feet and scowled at the two vikings with a death-stare.

Both Hiccup and Astrid were stunned, for the warlock was uninjured.

With a snap of his fingers, a swirl of chaos fire once again surrounded Gorlok as he teleported into the center of the opening, and upon reappearing, both Hiccup and Astrid noticed the orc's hands and staff shaking. It became clear that he was finished playing their games.

Golrok growlingly raised his staff and slammed it roughly into the ground, embedding it, and before their eyes, a large circle of chaos fire formed around them, surrounding them from one end of the forest's clearing to the other.

"Only one of us will leave these woods alive," said the orc in a grim tone. "And it won't be either of you…"

Golrok raised both of his arms forward, and from his hands, two beams of raw chaos energy surged forth, speeding directly towards both of the vikings. In response, Hiccup and Astrid channelled out streams of fire and ice to combat the beams, but upon collision, they both found themselves unable to push the warlock's magic back.

Instead, the streams of chaos magic unexpectedly began pushing towards them. Soon, desperation took hold of them.

At one point, Astrid used her beam to erect a wall of ice in front of her, to which Hiccup did the same as he used his flames to summon up a magical barrier of fire. Though this slowed down the warlock's spell, their desperate attempt was folly, for the chaotic magic broke right through their conjured obstacles like a Timberjack cutting through a forest of trees.

There was nothing that could be done, and as the streams of chaos magic closed in on them, both Hiccup and Astrid braced themselves for what appeared to be their possible doom.

...Or so they thought.

Suddenly, the sound of thunder drummed through the ears, and from above, a large purple bolt of lightning came crashing down upon Golrok, striking the warlock and the ground around him as the force of the spell threw him back more than a dozen feet, along with his staff.

"GRAAAGH!" roared the orc.

In that moment, Hiccup and Astrid felt a great weight lift from their shoulders, and as the beams of magic fizzled out along with the large circle of chaos fire that surrounded them, a renewed sense of hope filled their eyes. The two of them glanced up towards the top of the trees from where the powerful bolt of lightning came from, and from above, the figure of a Monstrous Nightmare came into view, carrying a certain viking atop his back...

Snotlout immediately leaped down from Hookfang's saddle, landing roughly yet harmlessly in front of Hiccup and Astrid. As he straightened out his back, the buffed viking looked back up at his dragon, and with a swing of his arms, the Nightmare swiftly flew off, back towards the battle.

"Freya have mercy," sighed Astrid in relief. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's good to have you here, Snotlout!"

"I came as fast as I could," the lad stated. "When Heather and Fishlegs told me what you guys were doing, I became worried. But then I saw the wall of fire, and I knew I couldn't sit by... so I decided to take action."

"Your timing couldn't have been any better, Snotlout," said Hiccup. "Golrok had us by a tight leash. If it wasn't for you, we'd be dead."

"Then I guess it's safe to assume that the orc himself is dead?" asked Snotlout. "I mean- he shouldn't have been able to survive that, right…?"

_"GRR… YOU ASSUME WRONG, HUMAN!"_

Golrok's voice instantly shattered the moment, causing Snotlout to turn his back as he caught sight of the orc walking towards them, gripping his staff with a shakened grasp. To his surprise, the warlock was unscathed.

Snotlout kept his eyes fixed onto the orc as he made way to Hiccup's side. "How is that ugly thing still standing!? Did I not hit him hard enough?"

"It doesn't matter how hard you hit him," said Astrid. "Even with fire and ice, it wasn't enough to stop him. Two elements aren't enough."

"Then maybe we should give him three…" said Snotlout as he flicked his wrists, causing them to light up with stormy magic.

"How do you know if all three of our magics will be enough?" asked Hiccup. "Unless you have a plan…"

"Nope, but it's still worth a try," replied Snotlout. "Also, if I were you, I'd put aside my weapon. I doubt they'll be of any use."

The two vikings obliged as they without question sheathed away their weapons, and with both their hands freed from the weight of their blades, they proceeded to conjure up fire and ice within both their palms.

Golrok sought a challenge, and they would give him one.

The orc halted in his steps, glaring down the three Wings of Midgard who stood before him. "Do you truly believe one more of your puny Wings will make a difference?"

"Our friend here knocked you off your feet," taunted Astrid. "If that lightning bolt was strong enough, it would've left a scar on that disgusting face of yours."

"Do you think I am afraid, little girl?" the warlock asked. "No matter how hard you try, your pathetic magics won't do anything to me! Lord Maldragor's power protects! The blessing of a GOD!"

"You would all be wise to surrender…"

The moment became a standstill as the three vikings came to a silence. Hiccup, whose hands were still ignited in flames, glanced first at Astrid, who stood on his left with icy magic sparkling in her palms. Then his eyes fell onto Snotlout, who stood on his right with bolts of purple lightning that struck across his fingers.

Neither of them showed signs of backing down.

The lad's eyes gazed back at the orc. "God or not, your Dark Master will fall eventually, just like you."

"...So be it," grunted Golrok.

With nothing left to lose, the warlock raised his staff outwards, and with a bellowing roar, a great green stream of raw chaos energy flooded out of it, making its way directly for Hiccup.

Immediately, the three vikings aimed their arms forward, and in unison, they casted forth powerful beams of fire, ice, and lightning towards the warlock's spell. Eventually, all four collided, and the impact sent out a magical burst of power, shaking the earth beneath them for many yards.

However, what followed was utter madness.

Neither side gained any ground. All four streams of magic reacted violently - curving, bursting, and crackling as the ground constantly shook from the intensity of the battle. The trees around them were set ablaze like torches. The snow from the skies began to fall harder. And the clouds above them boomed with purple lightning and thunder.

Yet as Hiccup, Astrid, and Snotlout continued funnelling their magics towards Golrok's beam, the warlock's power suddenly began to intensify. The stream of chaos energy started to grow ever larger as green lightning struck against the three elements like an uncontrollable tempest of terror.

Though the Wings of Midgard remained determined, their determination would not last for long...

"YOU'RE MINE, HICCUP HADDOCK!" growled Golrok as he tightened the grip on his staff, and all of a sudden, the young vikings felt a great escalation in Golrok's magic as the orc began to slowly push their beams back. As such, the three Wings of Midgard were forced to their limits.

"PUSH... HARDER!" shouted Hiccup as his rage grew tenfold, causing his flames to burn brighter.

"I'm… doing my best!" replied Snotlout as his beam of lightning began to crackle violently. "It's getting hard to focus!"

"Don't, give, IN!" called out Astrid. "We can… do this!"

Eventually, Golrok's spell came to a stop, halting a mere ten feet away from the three vikings. But even then, they knew well that they would not be able to hold back the orc's energy for very long. If they were going to win, they would have to strike the orc where it would hurt.

...And almost instantly, Hiccup's brows rose up in thought as an idea formed at the top his head.

His eyes quickly narrowed down to the hand-cannon that hung on his belt. Luckily, it was already loaded with several shots - but one shot was all he needed, and the thought of it caused him to smirk…

"Astrid, Snotlout!" he called out. "I need you guys to maintain the beam as long as you can! I have an idea, but I'll need one of my hands for this!"

"Are you joking!?" called out Snotlout. "Are you trying to get us killed or what!?"

"Just trust me on this!" replied Hiccup. "If all goes well, this battle will be ours!"

"If you say so!" responded Astrid, still keeping her eyes fixated on the stream of chaos energy. "Now get to it!"

Without hesitation, Hiccup pulled back his right hand from the stream of magic, leaving only his left to keep the beam of fire channelling. Immediately his eyes fell back onto the hand-cannon, and not a moment later, the weapon was in his grasp, armed and ready.

His eyes then fell upon Golrok, who was still occupied with keeping his chaotic spell maintained. As such, he then proceeded to point the weapon forward, aiming towards the warlock's left hand, which remained exposed and in his sights.

And then…

_**BOOM!**_

The barrel bursted with smoke and flames as the weapon finally fired, shooting out a bolt of metal that flew through the air as fast as a Night Fury. But what followed was a gruesome sight.

Golrok's left hand exploded into pieces, causing him to scream out in pain and agony as all of his fingers were completely blown off, and in its wake, all that remained was a bloody bump where his hand once was.

At the same time however, Hiccup, Astrid, and Snotlout felt the warlock's spell weaken greatly.

"This is our chance!" said Hiccup as he dropped the hand-cannon to his side and lunged his right arm forward, unleashing flames from his palm like a violent river as his beam of fire was empowered.

"PUSH IT BACK!" shouted Astrid, bolstering her efforts.

The warlock grunted in anger and desperation as he struggled from keeping the three oncoming spells back. Despite the effort he made however, he found himself unable to focus up the energy of his beam, nor able to muster the strength to empower it. To his utter shock, all of his attempts were futile, and slowly but surely, his magic started to dwindle, and his staff began cracking underneath the force of the elements, like a twig ready to snap.

It was in that moment that Golrok realized that he had failed…

"NOOOOOOOO!" he screamed.

With a final push from the vikings, all three waves of magic rammed back the warlock's chaotic energy as if it was nothing, and in a flash, it was over. The elements struck Golrok with an explosion of immense power, hurling him into the air with a scream as his staff finally broke into pieces.

However, Hiccup, Astrid, and Snotlout were nearly thrown off their feet from the energy's magnitude. The ground beneath them shook for a final time, and as the dust settled, all that remained of the once beautiful opening was a ruined battlefield. Trees burned, snow fell, and thunder boomed from above.

Hiccup sighed, falling gently to a knee as he began taking a moment to recover.

"I- Is everyone alright?" he asked, glancing back at the others.

"I'm still here- all in one piece," waved Astrid, breathing heavily. "I- I just need a moment to breathe."

"I think we all do, Astrid," said Snotlout as he slowly crouched down to regain his breath. "And I also think it's easy to say that this was the hardest fight of my life. Odin's beard… Not even that battle against the giant in Votunheim was as difficult as this."

"You can say that again," nodded Astrid. "Still- I thought we were going to die to that orc..."

"Question is, is he alive or dead?" asked Hiccup. "We can't let him stay ali-"

"Gaaagh…"

It was then that a sudden groan broke the silence, causing all pairs of eyes to gaze up ahead as the three vikings straightened themselves out.

Gorlok laid in the distance, nearly unconscious.

The orc was heavily scarred. Aside from the hand that Hiccup blew off, the crippled brute was now missing an eye, and half of his body was covered in burns and bruises. What remained of the spellcaster was now nothing but a broken husk.

However, Hiccup was not yet finished with him...

The lad's eyes fell upon the hand-cannon he dropped earlier. Almost immediately, he reached down with a glare to pick up the weapon before stomping his way over to Golrok's broken body, with the intention of finishing him off.

Drago took his father's life. To Hiccup, it was only fair he did the same to the warlord's right hand, and upon approaching the orc, he aimed the hand-cannon for his head, ready to bring an end to him.

"If there are any last words you want to give, spit them out, orc," growled Hiccup.

_"WAIT!"_

The voice of King Elendar suddenly filled Hiccup's ears as he turned around towards where Astrid and Snotlout stood, only to see the king, along with ten of his elven guards, making their way towards him - bloodied, as well as covered in scratches and bruises.

"Stand down, Hiccup!" said Elendar as he approached the lad. "I understand you want to kill him for what he has done, but your friends, Fishlegs and Heather, have just told me much about him."

"And?" questioned Hiccup, tightening the grip on his hand-cannon.

"This warlock is no ordinary warlock, and I have reason to believe that he holds information that is vital to helping us. As such, I've decided it would be best to interrogate him."

"Interrogate him!?" asked Hiccup angrily. "Did they forget to mention about how he played a part in my father's death!? He deserves to die! Why can't you let me-!?"

"Because," interrupted the elven king as he calmly laid his hands on the lad's shoulders. "The simple answer is that it is not the right thing to do. Even if you were to kill Golrok, your sense of relief would not last for long, and nor would your father be avenged. If you truly want revenge, save your anger for Drago. I promise you, after Golrok's interrogated, he will not live to see another day."

"Please… you know well your father would know better than to do this."

His last words were all it took for Hiccup to lower his weapon. The lad sighed as he strapped the hand-cannon back onto his belt, before making room for Elendar's guards to lift the orc to his feet.

"I guess you're right," said Hiccup softly. "I- I'm sorry about the outburst, Elendar... I just want to make things right."

"No worries, my friend," he replied. "In time, everything _will_ be set right. But for now, I suggest you take what time there is to rest up."

"Now go. I'm certain your friends would like to speak with you. This battle is over, and victory is ours..."

The lad nodded as the elven king firmly patted his shoulder, and without another word, Hiccup calmly began his way back towards Astrid and Snotlout, who were already making their way out of the clearing.

As soon as they were out of sight, Elendar gazed back at the orc with a grim expression.

"Take him to the dungeons beneath the palace. Make sure to bind him in tight chains…"


End file.
